(NEXSTAR) — As the government shutdown continues, more than 40 million people are on the precipice of missing out on receiving their SNAP benefits come November.

Should the shutdown continue into November, millions of others who receive food assistance through WIC — the Special Supplement Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — may find themselves without benefits as well.

Like SNAP, WIC — which supports low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and young children — is overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture but run by state agencies. It's typically considered a short-term assistance program, with qualification depending on whether someone is pregnant, has had a baby within the last six months, provides breastmilk to an enrolled baby under the age of 1, or cares for a child under the age of 5.

Nearly 7 million people in the U.S. receive WIC benefits, according to the National WIC Association (NWA).

At the start of the shutdown, the NWA warned that while program funds were low, benefits would continue for roughly a week or two.........

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