Some Memphis families have gotten their SNAP benefits, others have not
- Nov 12, 2025
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – It’s been a confusing and chaotic time for thousands of Mid-South families who rely on federal benefits to feed their families.
“I need my benefits!” said Shandra Phillips, who is still waiting on her SNAP benefits. “I’ve been surviving, eating cold cuts, which I’m tired of eating that I need some hot food.”
Some families are starting to receive partial benefits, but others are concerned about why they have not received the money they need to buy food.
“I’m scared that I’m not going to receive my benefits for my children and I,” said Jamilla Counts, an Orange Mound resident. “I sure am.”
As FOX13 reported, every state in the Mid-South committed to giving residents up to 65% of their normal SNAP allowance.
However, Midtown resident Edward Oliver told FOX13 he received $44 instead of his usual $147.
“I’m grateful,” he said. “I can buy something with it.”
Oliver is frustrated by all the uncertainty during the government shutdown.
“They low-down for shutting down,” Oliver said. “All this money they’re making every day? They didn’t have to shut down like they did.”
“People are working hard, playing by the rules, and just can’t afford to feed their own families,” explained Joel Berg, the CEO of Hunger Free America.
If the shutdown ends in the next few days, Berg hopes most families will get their full benefits for November.
“In most places, people should start getting their benefits within a few days,” he explained. “If not, that just shows you how broken the delivery of social services is in America.”
Some Memphis residents remain skeptical of the system.
Counts told FOX13 she is waiting on her benefits from October 18th.
“It is so unfair,” she said. “The South, we really are suffering down here in Memphis, Tennessee.”