Tens of thousands of Utah households that rely on food stamps will be getting February’s benefits weeks early, another complication of the federal shutdown that has left the program with an uncertain future.
State officials who administer the food program on Wednesday had a word of warning for recipients: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits they’ll be getting over the next few days will have to tide them over through February. And at this point, no funding is in place for March’s food-stamp allotment, said Dale Ownby, who heads the state division that oversees the SNAP program in Utah.