Governor Andrew Cuomo has stepped in to help families whose SNAP benefits were impacted by the recent government shutdown.

He signed off on the early release of benefit money on Friday so that recipients will get their benefits no later than March 7. That's a week ahead of schedule.

During the January shutdown, the federal government directed states to release benefits three weeks ahead of schedule, creating what the Governor's Office calls a "SNAP gap."

About 2.7 million individuals and 1.5 million households rely on SNAP benefits to make ends meet, according to Cuomo's office. 

Grocery chain Wegmans also recently cut prices to support families hurting after the shutdown.