Shutdown puts Iowa food aid programs on edge as state steps in to fund WIC

Iowa’s food assistance programs are feeling the strain of the ongoing federal government shutdown — though state officials say they’ve temporarily filled the gap to keep benefits flowing to vulnerable families.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services said the state has stepped in to provide short-term funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which provides vouchers to buy infant formula as well as fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk and other healthy staples for low-income mothers, infants, and children up to age 5.

“While we are not anticipating any immediate disruptions in WIC benefits and services, we are continually monitoring the situation,” said Alex Murphy, spokesperson for Iowa HHS. “Iowa WIC has received USDA contingency funding provided to states. With the contingency funding, Iowa WIC is continuing operations as usual and does not plan to implement a waitlist or make changes to our benefit participants at this time.

“Iowa WIC clinics will continue to operate during the government shutdown. This includes providing food benefits, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referral services. There are no disruptions with WIC EBT processing, infant formula availability, or stocking of WIC-approved foods in Iowa.“

Murphy said the agency has notified local partners and will update families if anything changes.

WIC still operating — for now

At the local level, Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP), which administers WIC in Eastern Iowa, said operations are continuing for now but stressed that future funding depends on how long federal appropriations are stalled.

“As we plan for the impact of a federal government shutdown, the state of Iowa has taken extraordinary measures to continue funding the WIC program in the immediate time frame,” HACAP said in a statement. “ … Until the appropriations process is complete, federal funds are not available to maintain operations. No further action is required of (WIC recipients) now and program operations will continue at this time. However, we will regularly assess our ability to continue funding WIC during the shutdown and will provide updates as decisions are made in real time.”

More than 62,000 Iowans rely on WIC benefits each month, according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture data, with an average monthly benefit of about $54 per person. The program’s total food costs in Iowa last fiscal year exceeded $40 million, and its administrative and nutrition service costs totaled more than $18 million.

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Shutdown strains national food aid

Nationwide, WIC serves more than 6 million low-income mothers and young children and is funded at roughly $8 billion annually. The Associated Press reported that the program could run out of federal money within two weeks of the shutdown’s start unless states intervene. Thursday was the ninth day of the shutdown.

A $150 million federal contingency fund and state stopgaps are keeping WIC afloat for now, but that money is expected to deplete quickly. In some states, officials are already warning they can sustain WIC benefits for only a week or two before facing possible cutbacks or enrollment freezes.

In Iowa, it’s unclear how long state reserves can keep the program running. Luke Elzinga, board chair of the Iowa Hunger Coalition, said state officials have not shared details about how long they can maintain funding.

“I do want to be clear, WIC has not been impacted yet. SNAP has not been impacted yet,” Elzinga said. “If people have those benefits, they should feel safe continuing to use those. But we do know from previous shutdowns that if this drags out further, we could see an impact.”

If state funds run out, Elzinga said Iowa could face difficult choices, such as creating a waitlist or restricting eligibility — for example, only accepting new pregnant women and infants while pausing new enrollments for other children.

In past shutdowns, SNAP benefits were distributed early, which led to a temporary decrease in food pantry usage, followed by a surge in demand as benefits ran out before the end of the month.

Overall, the shutdown could compound existing challenges, leading to more Iowans relying on community resources if federal and state assistance is interrupted, Elzinga said.

“If states have reserves to use to pay for WIC, they’ll be reimbursed once they're reopened. So I think there are a number of flexibilities and contingencies both at USDA and at the state,” he said. “And so we really hope that WIC will not be interrupted. The message I'm getting from the state is that it will not be interrupted, and that they will let us know if that changes. And so I think no news is good news in that regard.”

SNAP secure through October — but uncertainty ahead

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — formerly known as food stamps — remains fully funded through October, and possibly November, Elzinga said. However, he noted that this shutdown differs from past ones because it coincides with the start of a new fiscal year, meaning federal agencies don’t yet have ongoing spending authority.

During the last prolonged shutdown in late 2018 and early 2019, states issued February benefits early to avoid disruptions, which led to uneven food pantry demand — a lull in January followed by a surge in February as families’ benefits ran out early.

“At this point, WIC is safe, SNAP is safe — until we hear anything further,” Elzinga said. “We don’t want to cause panic. If folks receive those benefits, they should feel safe using them.”

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Food pantries brace for ripple effects

Even if federal nutrition benefits remain intact, the shutdown could deepen Iowa’s existing food insecurity challenges, Elzinga warned. November is traditionally one of the busiest months for food pantries, and inflation and higher food prices have already strained household budgets.

If the shutdown continues and November is impacted, “that will absolutely affect food pantries — at a time when we're already … facing unprecedented need and the busiest month of the year,” he said.

Additionally, the Hunger Coalition is anticipating additional pressure as new SNAP eligibility changes take effect Nov. 1, “and that will mean more people turning to food banks and food pantries for support,” Elzinga said.

Federal aid scramble and political fallout

The White House announced this week that it had identified a temporary funding source — transferring tariff revenue to sustain WIC “for the foreseeable future,” according to Axios. The move offers a short-term reprieve but not a permanent solution.

Democrats, meanwhile, have opposed GOP-backed proposals to scale back WIC funding and impose stricter work requirements for SNAP recipients.

According to the advocacy group Food & Water Watch, 1 in 4 young children in Iowa — about 27 percent — rely on WIC benefits, which provide supplemental food, formula and health support to low-income families.

Democrats have proposed a short-term bill that would boost WIC funding to account for higher food prices, while the Republican-backed plan would keep funding flat — effectively reducing support by an estimated $600 million over the course of the year due to inflation, according to the group.

Mitch Jones, managing director of policy and litigation for Food & Water Watch, said low-income families are among the first to feel the effects of the shutdown, urging Iowa’s U.S. senators, Republicans Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley, to “put food back on the table” by supporting a bipartisan spending bill to restore federal funding.

‘We want to see WIC funded’

Elzinga said his message to policymakers is simple: end the shutdown and protect food programs that millions of families depend on.

“Iowans want our lawmakers to work across the aisle to get things done. We don't want to be impacted by this,” he said, adding if things drag on “it will take, I think, community stepping up to meet the additional need.”

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