Dennis, a Lewis County Department of Social Services staff member, told the Board of Legislators that the federal government shutdown has immediately disrupted regular SNAP issuances and complicated benefit calculations. He said the county serves about 3,000 SNAP recipients (11% of the county population), of whom roughly 25% are children and 28% are senior citizens.

"So right now, no SNAP benefits are currently being issued. Now we're only on day 4," Dennis said, explaining that while a recent federal ruling described a 50% issuance, local practice requires the agency to apply the maximum household benefit, subtract a required 30% income contribution and then prorate, which will produce payments substantially below 50% for many households. He added the minimum benefit under the calculation could be $12.

The county distributed about $500,000 in SNAP benefits per month before the shutdown, Dennis said, equating to approximately $5.5 million annually; using a commonly cited local multiplier, that represents roughly $8.8 million in annual economic activity in county stores. He warned staff are performing a largely manual process to implement any interim issuances and estimated the work to complete calculations could run into mid-November, with staggered issuances continuing for about 10 days once federal guidance is finalized.

Lewis County will post an expedited emergency food-benefit application for SNAP and public-assistance recipients on the county website and social media. The county’s plan, as described by Dennis, is to assess SNAP case records and issue a defined benefit sized to provide roughly 15 days of food per household based on the thrifty food plan; the benefit is being structured as a short-term public-assistance issuance rather than a full SNAP issuance.

Dennis also briefed the board on changes affecting able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD, called "ABOG" in the meeting). He said the county implemented new work-activity monitoring after notice from federal Food and Nutrition Service and that a federal court hearing in Rhode Island on related waivers was scheduled for Nov. 6. HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program) timing remains uncertain: Dennis said HEAP had been expected to open Nov. 1, then Nov. 17, and could be delayed to Nov. 24; meanwhile, people with heating emergencies can apply for emergency public-assistance heating aid that uses different eligibility and resource rules.

Board members asked about local fiscal exposure; Dennis answered that the county’s local tax impact depends on benefit categories (for example, family assistance cases have a larger state share), and that the department employs extensive eligibility checks (bank matches, pensions, IRAs) before issuing public assistance.

Why it matters: SNAP and HEAP are central safety-net programs for low-income households. The county’s manual, expedited approach aims to reduce short-term food insecurity, but officials cautioned recipients should expect partial and staggered payments and urged residents not to panic while federal guidance evolves.

Provenance: topicintro: transcript block starting at 00:03:22 (DSS briefing); topfinish: transcript block at 00:12:52 (DSS wrap-up).