The Trump administration announced Monday it will partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s largest food aid program, following federal judges’ rulings that required the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue payments despite the ongoing government shutdown.
The USDA had previously stated it would be unable to issue November SNAP benefits, which cost roughly $8 billion per month nationally, due to a lapse in funding caused by the shutdown. This announcement created a scramble for food banks, state governments, and the nearly 42 million Americans—about one in eight—who rely on the aid to buy groceries.
However, federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island intervened with separate, but similar, rulings on Friday. RELATED: Federal Judges Order Trump Admin To Fund SNAP During Shutdown, Averting Food Aid Freeze
These rulings mandated the administration use a contingency fund of about $5 billion to at least partially pay for the program. The judges gave the government a deadline of Monday to decide whether to partially or fully fund the program, which provides a major piece of the social safety net.
Rhode Island U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ordered the administration to use at least the contingency funds, setting a deadline of Wednesday for partial payments, which require recalculating benefits, or by Monday for full payments.
Following the rulings, President Donald Trump stated on social media Friday that he did “NOT want Americans to go hungry” and directed government lawyers to prepare SNAP payments as soon as possible. RELATED: Trump Seeks Court Guidance To Fund SNAP Amid Shutdown, Blames Democrats For Delays
Despite the administration’s decision to move forward with partial funding, significant uncertainties remain:
- Benefit Amount: It is currently unclear how much beneficiaries will receive. The average monthly benefit is typically around $190 per person.
- Payment Timeline: Benefits will be delayed in November. The process of loading the benefits onto the recipients’ debit cards, which involves complex steps between federal and state agencies and vendors, can take up to two weeks in some states. Many beneficiaries typically have their cards recharged early in the month.
The initial plan to freeze payments spurred numerous lawsuits from Democratic state attorneys general and governors from 25 states, as well as the District of Columbia, who argued the administration had a legal obligation to keep the program running.
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