Indiana issuing food stamps early due to government shutdown

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana plans to issue February's food stamp benefits next week for hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers due to the partial federal government shutdown.

The state's Family and Social Services Administration said Friday it will distribute February's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits on Jan. 19 for about 585,000 Indiana residents.

Indiana's SNAP benefits are usually issued to recipients over a 19-day period each month.

But the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service has directed states to issue February's benefits early as a one-time early benefit due to the ongoing government shutdown.

The FSSA says it's "strongly" encouraging Indiana's SNAP recipients to budget the benefits they'll receive next week to ensure that they'll cover their food needs throughout February.

January's SNAP benefits are being distributed according to the normal schedule.