People in communities damaged by recent hurricanes have an opportunity to get extra food assistance through adjustments made to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other temporary federal programs. But there are some hard deadlines to apply for help.

If a shutdown happens, millions of federal employees will be furloughed and many others will be forced to work without pay until it ends. A handful of federal programs that people nationwide rely on everyday could also be disrupted — from dwindling funds for food assistance to potential delays in customer service for recipients of Medicare and Social Security.

Congress ended the temporary benefit meant to help low-income households with pandemic-era hardships. A huge increase in Social Security benefits may mean some households see further SNAP reductions.

A new study suggests Georgians would be hard hit by a proposed U.S. Department of Agriculture rule , which would cut Supplemental Nutrition Assistance...