Mississippi’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is being paused because of the federal government shutdown, the Mississippi Department of Human Services said Friday. 

“No new SNAP benefits will be issued for November unless federal guidance changes,” the department said in a press release. 

This move comes more than three weeks into the federal shutdown, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it would not tap into its $6 billion contingency fund to cover food assistance next month.

Nearly 400,000 Mississippians receive food assistance through SNAP, and the vast majority are families with children or elderly people. That is about 13% of the population, slightly higher than the 12% nationwide who use SNAP to help buy groceries.

The Associated Press reported that officials in Louisiana, Vermont and Virginia pledged Thursday to keep food aid flowing to recipients in their states, even if the federal program is stalled next month because of the government shutdown.

The Mississippi Department of Human Services encourages members to use up their current benefits before the end of October to buy shelf-stable foods, such as canned goods. It’s not clear whether SNAP clients will be able to use pre-existing benefits beyond Oct. 31, the department said. 

The department will continue to process new applications. Current enrollees are also reminded to fulfill all requirements to remain eligible. 

New work requirements for SNAP are slated to fall into place next month, as well, as a result of a federal budget law that President Donald Trump signed during the summer. Work requirements already exist, but the law increases the upper age limit on those from 54 to 65 and extends the requirement to those previously exempt: veterans, those facing homelessness, and young people aging out of foster care. There is still a caregiver exemption, but parents must have children younger than  14 – down from 18. 

A list of Mississippi food pantries by county can be found on the website of Delta Health Alliance, a nonprofit group that works to improve health outcomes.