For the first time since the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, program was established, food assistance will not go out on time next month, a symptom of the federal government shutdown.

Federal appropriations to provide for the massive food assistance program that helps feed one in eight Americans will expire at the end of the month. For recipients, that means whatever money is left as of October 30 is all they’ll have access to until further notice.

A six-billion dollar emergency fund won’t be tapped, because the Trump administration contends that money can only be used in emergencies when SNAP is also being regularly funded. Emergency SNAP is often made available for the survivors of natural disasters and other catastrophes, and the administration contends that’s all the emergency fund is for.

“It’s pretty assured at this point that people are not getting their benefits on November 1,” said Jennifer Jones, Department of Social Services commissioner for Lewis County. “Even last week, we thought it could still change overnight, but it’s too late now for that to happen.”

Jones said even if the federal government managed to reopen by Oct. 31, which appears unlikely as of now, benefits would still be delayed by at least a few days as social services departments across the state and nation updated clients benefits budgets with their calculated allowance. SNAP benefits are usually paid over a ten-day period, with case numbers indicating the day of the month the benefit will arrive, and a delay would offset that entire schedule for the month.

Jones said she believes that once the federal government reopens, recipients are likely to still get their expected benefit amount, albeit later in the month.

“I know it’s hard, but I would encourage people to try to stretch what they have, save what they have now, to make it through the delay,” Jones said.

She said that it may appear in online portals that next month’s snap benefit is coming, but she said that is not accurate. Many EBT card holders may not notice the lapse in funding until they get to the cashier at the grocery store.

“The amount they’ll have is what they had on Oct. 31,” she said.

The state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, which oversees public benefit programs in New York, is communicating with all SNAP beneficiaries via text message with the latest update.

“If they have a valid cell number on file,” she said.

Jones said New York state is also still taking applications for SNAP benefits — even if the money won’t be immediately available, she said people who are eligible and in need of food assistance should apply anyway, so they can get assistance immediately and retroactive to the date of application when the government reopens and funds are made available again.

There are at least two paths to the restoration of normal SNAP benefits; lawmakers in Washington could agree to fund the government and appropriate the fund for it to restart, at least in the short term, or a lawsuit of 25 states including New York could force the USDA to issue SNAP benefits from that $6 billion contingency fund.