(Updated: November 17, 2025 (originally published October 29, 2025)
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
- SNAP: As of November 17, Tennessee announced that recipients who received partial November payments will have the remainder of their benefit added starting that date, and those scheduled later in the month should receive full amounts on their regular schedule. Risk remains for processing delays, delayed pickup of remainder funds, and increased stress on food-bank networks due to earlier interruption.
- LIHEAP: Energy-assistance funds are on hold pending federal release, threatening winter heating stability for low-income households.
- Head Start: Although the federal government shutdown officially ended on November 13, 2025 many local programs still await formal federal disbursement of new grants, meaning vulnerability remains for service disruptions.
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WIC: Tennessee’s WIC program is still operating and continuing to serve eligible mothers, infants, and young children.
Overview
This report summarizes socioeconomic vulnerability across the Knoxville 9‑county functional region (Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Grainger, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Roane, Union) with a focus on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Low‑Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and Head Start. It is tailored for emergency‑management & mutual aid group planning amid the ongoing federal shutdown. If you would like a risk assessment specific to your organization please contact us.
The Knoxville 9-County Functional Region would face moderate to high socioeconomic risk if the federal shutdown had continued.
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SNAP: About 72,000 residents (7.8 %) depend on food benefits—roughly $15 million in monthly spending now at risk. On the afternoon of November 3, the Trump administration announced that it would use $4.65 billion from a contingency fund to cover about half of the usual benefits however there may be delays in the distribution.
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LIHEAP: Energy-assistance funds are on hold pending federal release, threatening winter heating stability for low-income households.
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High-vulnerability counties: Campbell, Union, Morgan, and Grainger show 10–17 % SNAP reliance and limited access to alternate support.
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Knox County holds the largest caseload, meaning food banks and service agencies there will see the sharpest demand surge.
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WIC: Roughly 35 % of children under five rely on WIC nutrition support. In Union, Grainger, and Campbell, dependency exceeds 40–55 %, amplifying early-childhood nutrition risk if federal aid lapses.
- Head Start: Roughly 1,800 to 2,200 children and on the order of 120-180 staff associated with Head Start/EHS programs could be impacted if the shutdown progresses.
Section 1 – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
As of September 2025, approximately 72,378 individuals across the 9‑county region rely on SNAP (~7.8% of the population). If November benefits are delayed or halted, the region could lose about $15 million in direct monthly food purchasing power (≈$21–22 million with multiplier effects).
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