In a corner of West Virginia, the government shutdown is hitting hard.

The political impasse in Washington means that a domestic violence shelter here is about to lose access to the federal funding it so desperately relies on.

The shelter provides refuge for women and children fleeing dangerous situations from across the country.

Katie Spriggs, executive director of the Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Centre, said her agency can no longer afford to provide any financial support to its clients.

Image: Katie Spriggs, director of the centre, is worried people on the waiting list will remain in a violent situation

She told Sky News: "I'm concerned that we will have to lay off staff. I'm concerned that this money freeze will go on for months.


"I'm concerned that the 22 people we have here are never going to be able to transition out and then we have 27 people on our waiting list.

"So then those people will remain in a violent situation because we can't fit them in here and there's really no other sheltering options."

She explained that they would normally spend about $260 (£200) on groceries a week.

But with the gridlock now reaching into its 28th day, the longest in US history, they have started rationing.

Image: The shelter is running out of money during the shutdown

Last week, they only had enough for $26 (£20) worth of food. There are babies and toddlers running around and not enough nappies to go around.

Sarah, not her real name, 49, said she fled a violent partner in another state.

She said she finally scraped about $650 (£500) together to move into her own home.

In December, staff at the shelter offered to cover her security deposit, using a special fund for emergency client expenses.

But now they do not have that money to give and Sarah is stuck.

In answer to what that will mean for her, she replied frankly: "I'll probably end up on the street. I've done half my time in here already. I may end up sleeping in my car."

It can take many attempts before a woman finally manages to leave a violent relationship.

After plucking up the courage to go and making a detailed escape plan, Sarah is in limbo.

"The poor always get the brunt of everything," she said.

And yet like so many in this country, she seems resigned to the political system that got them here.

She doesn't blame President Trump either.

"Politics is just a show and tell - opposite wings of the same bird. It's all a game," she said.

As the staff at the shelter discussed potential layoffs in between fielding calls, Donald Trump was doing his own bit of shutdown management - cancelling the opposition House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Brussels, Egypt and Afghanistan.

It looked like swift retaliation for her arguably provocative suggestion that he cancel his State of the Union speech.

The normal political pressure points that end these standoffs are not kicking in yet. Mr Trump believes he is in the right and Democrats are refusing to cave.

As they lock horns, it is those outside the beltway bubble taking the hit.

But the financial outlook is looking increasingly grim and if it goes on much longer, the president may have to decide between two of his key election promises: building a wall and making the economy thrive.