Five ways the US government shutdown is hurting

The US government shutdown has entered its fifth week with no clear end in sight.

With Democrats and Republicans deadlocked on passing a spending plan that would reopen federal agencies, millions of Americans are experiencing economic pain that could soon get worse.

The fiscal struggle means millions of Americans may not receive food aid, thousands of soldiers may have to work without pay, and millions may be left without heat.

Here’s how the shutdown affected ordinary people.

More than 40 million Americans use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to feed themselves and their families.

While that program had enough funding to survive the first four weeks of the shutdown, the Trump administration said the money would run out on Nov. 1.

By Saturday, Snap benefits, also called food stamps, may expire for the first time in the program’s history.

Snap is a vital lifeline that keeps families out of poverty, Hannah Garth, a Princeton University professor who studies food insecurity, told the BBC.

Groups that provide food for people in need are already under pressure, and losing Snap will make the situation worse, she added.

On Thursday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency so the state could “help the three million New Yorkers who are losing food assistance” because of the shutdown.

People enrolled in Snap are stockpiling food and visiting humanitarian organizations as they wait for the impasse to be lifted on Capitol Hill.

Half of the states and the District of Columbia have sued President Donald Trump’s administration over the food aid freeze.

The administration, in turn, blamed Democrats for running out of funding and said it would draw on Snap’s contingency fund only in emergencies such as a natural disaster.

The federal government distributes Snap’s benefits through programs run by the states.

Some states, such as Virginia, said they would be able to make up the shortfall in November, but others, such as Massachusetts, said they could not cover the shortfall.

If the Trump administration does not intervene, more than a million members of the US military will miss their paychecks on Friday.

About a quarter of military families are considered food insecure, and 15 percent rely on Snap or pantries, according to research firm Rand. Meanwhile, the Military Family Advisory Network estimates that 27% of families have $500 (£380) or less in emergency savings.

The Pentagon says it has accepted a $130 million gift from a wealthy donor to help pay salaries during the shutdown, but that amounts to just $100 for each of the 1.3 million active-duty service members who expect to be paid.

The White House plans to pay the troops on Oct. 31 using money from a military housing fund, a research and development account and a defense procurement fund, according to Axios, a political news outlet.

Earlier this month, the administration boosted salaries by shifting $6.5 billion from military research.

More than 160 families told the National Military Family Association, an advocacy group, that they were underpaid during the shutdown, some by hundreds of dollars and others by thousands.

About six million Americans use a federal assistance initiative called the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (Liheap) to help pay their utility bills.

The government usually sends Liheap funds directly to utility companies in mid-November.

Temperatures are already dropping in the northern regions, where Americans heat their homes with propane, electricity and natural gas.

Many states prohibit natural gas and electric companies from cutting off service to people who don’t pay their bills, but those rules don’t apply to propane or heating oil.

Experts say thousands could face deadly conditions unless the government reopens or the government finds another solution, such as a nationwide moratorium on turning off heating during a shutdown.

Thousands of Americans work for the federal government as civilian employees, and many of those people will miss a paycheck this week.

It’s a slow burn for many, with the side effects of stopping getting worse.

Some civilian employees managed to get a week or two of compensation, while others haven’t seen a dollar since October 1st.

Among those going without pay starting this week are congressional aides on Capitol Hill.

Food banks and food pantries across the U.S. have already said they’ve seen an increase in the number of federal workers seeking help — especially in Washington, D.C.

If the shutdown continues through Dec. 1, about 4.5 million paychecks will be withheld from federal civilian employees, making about $21 billion in missing wages, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Furloughed employees typically get paid after the shutdown ends, though Trump has threatened to withhold pay and is currently trying to lay off thousands of workers, which is being challenged in court.

Thousands of air traffic controllers missed their first paychecks this week.

Since they are considered essential workers, they must continue to do their work without pay during the shutdown. Since October 1, many controllers have called in sick and many are now reporting that they are finding second jobs.

In turn, thousands of American fliers faced massive delays.

“The problems are increasing daily,” Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said at a news conference this week.

Transport Minister Sean Duffy said many of the flight delays in recent days and weeks were a result of the absence of air traffic controllers.

Duffy warned that controllers could be fired if they don’t show up for work.