Five Devastating Impacts of the Ongoing U.S. Government Shutdown

Thu Oct 30 2025 23:59:58 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As the U.S. government shutdown drags into its fifth week, millions of Americans are experiencing severe economic repercussions. This article highlights five critical areas affected by the impasse between Democrats and Republicans, exploring the potential worsening conditions ahead.

The U.S. government shutdown now in its fifth week is causing significant distress for many Americans. Key areas impacted include food assistance programs, military pay for active-duty service members, heating assistance amid dropping temperatures, missing pay for federal civilian workers, and disruptions for air traffic controllers. With no clear resolution in sight, the situation is expected to deteriorate further.

The US government shutdown has entered its fifth week and there is no clear end in sight.

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

The fiscal fight means millions of Americans may not receive food aid, thousands of troops could have to work without pay, and millions may go without heat.

Here’s how the shutdown has affected everyday people.

Food assistance

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 money will run out on 1 November. By Saturday, SNAP benefits, also called food stamps, could lapse for the first time in the program's history.

SNAP is a critical lifeline that keeps families out of poverty. Groups that provide food for those in need are already under strain, and the loss of SNAP will make the situation worse.

On Thursday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency to help the three million New Yorkers losing food assistance because of the shutdown.

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

Military pay

If the Trump administration does not intervene, more than a million members of the US military will miss their paychecks. About a quarter of military families are food insecure, and 15% rely on SNAP or food pantries, according to research.

The Pentagon has accepted a $130 million gift to help pay salaries during the shutdown, but that only works out to $100 for each of the active-duty service members.

Heat amid the winter chill

Around six million Americans use the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for help paying utility bills. The government usually sends LIHEAP funds directly to utility companies in mid-November, issuing concerns as winter temperatures drop.

Experts warn that thousands could face deadly conditions if the government doesn't reopen or find a resolution.

Federal civilian workers

Thousands of federal government employees will miss a paycheck this week, with some going without pay since 1 October. If the shutdown continues until 1 December, about 4.5 million paychecks will be withheld from federal civilian employees.

Air traffic controllers

Thousands of air traffic controllers have missed their first paychecks. As essential workers, they must continue their duties without pay during the shutdown. This has led to widespread flight delays.