SNAP funding is set to lapse Nov. 1, leaving recipients empty-handed. Here's what experts say.

The prolonged U.S. government shutdown is putting millions of Americans at risk of missing their November food stamp benefits, a vital lifeline for low-income households.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, said in a memo Sunday that no benefits will be issued on Nov. 1, leaving the program's roughly 42 million beneficiaries uncertain about how they'll pay for groceries next month. 

SNAP recipients receive an average of $187 a month on a prepaid card, and many families rely on those benefits as their main source of money for food. Many of those registered with the program are also asking if they will still be able to use the remaining dollars on their cards once funding is suspended and if they'll receive their November benefits retroactively, should lawmakers reach a deal to reopen the government.

With just days to go before a potential suspension in SNAP funding, here's what to know.

While SNAP benefits will not be disbursed as scheduled in November, program recipients can use existing funds on their EBT cards to make purchases. If someone enrolled in the program hasn't spent all their October EBT dollars, for example, those benefits would roll over into November.

Some states are advising recipients to use their remaining food stamps wisely, given the stalemate over funding the federal government. 

"If you have remaining balances from previous months, we encourage you to plan your shopping carefully and purchase essential food items when needed," Hawaii's Department of Human Services said on its website. 

The USDA hasn't indicated whether SNAP benefits would be paid retroactively once the government shutdown ends. 

But social service experts who spoke with CBS News said they expect the USDA to pay the delayed November benefits once federal funding resumes. 

"It is our understanding that SNAP benefits will be issued retroactively when the shutdown ends," said Lizbeth Ginsburg, a managing attorney in the welfare law unit at Greater Boston Legal Services.