SALT LAKE CITY — With the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, Utahns who rely on SNAP benefits for food will see those full benefits return within 24 hours.
The Utah Department of Workplace Services announced Thursday that full SNAP deposits will be made to customers by Saturday, November 15, with customers who normally receive their benefits on the 5th or 11th of each month receiving their deposits by Friday.
“We know they’re been a lot of unknowns; we’ve been navigating those as well,” said the agency's Becky Wickstrom.
When full SNAP benefits would return after the shutdown ended late Wednesday night was one of the biggest questions asked by those affected by a lack of government support.
“It’s very frustrating," said SNAP recipient Barton Gonzales. "We keep getting told different stories. We’ve got the Supreme Court saying that things have to be released, and then they ... only release half. Which never happened.”
Over 86,000 Utah households receive assistance from the federal program that helps residents purchase food each month.
"To finally know that people will get the critical lifeline of SNAP support that they need is really good news,” said Wickstrom.
Gonzalez agreed but remains hesitant due to what he went through over the last month.
“For a minute, I was gratefully relieved. It was like night and day,” he said, “but then at the same time I had apprehension.”
As the SNAP money goes out to EBT cards, the state is asking people to take precautions.
“People can lock their cards. That’s our best defense against having their benefits stolen," Wickstrom explained. "The best way to do that is through the Connect EBT app. You can download it on your phone, and then in real-time, you can lock and unlock your card.”
After 43 long days, Gonzales is now hoping for the best.
“It’s nice to know that it’s going to happen," he shared. "It’s really sad that for this country ... the type of problems and the type of arguing that it’s taken, just to get it done.”
