Indiana to issue food stamps 3 days earlier than planned

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana's early distribution of February's food stamp benefits due to the partial federal government shutdown has been moved up by three days.

The state's Family and Social Services Administration announced last week that it would distribute February's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits this Saturday for about 585,000 Indiana residents.

But the FSSA said Monday the U.S. Department of Agriculture informed it that those benefits must be distributed Wednesday as a one-time early benefit due to the ongoing government shutdown.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdueˆ told statesˆ  last week to issue the February benefits early.

The FSSA is "strongly" encouraging Indiana's SNAP recipients to budget their February benefits to ensure that they'll cover their food needs throughout the month.

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