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Residents in some U.S. states began receiving their full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits Friday after an appeals court maintained an order requiring President Donald Trump’s administration to fund the monthly benefits during the ongoing government shutdown.
A federal judge had given the Trump administration until Friday to make the payments. However, the administration asked an appeals court to suspend court orders requiring it to spend more money than was available in a contingency fund, proposing instead to continue with planned partial SNAP payments for the month. After the appeals court declined this request, the administration quickly appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
SNAP serves approximately one in eight Americans, primarily those with lower incomes. Officials in several states confirmed that some SNAP recipients had already received their full November payments by Friday.
Wisconsin moved particularly quickly, making more than $104 million in monthly food benefits available at midnight on electronic cards for about 337,000 households. A spokesperson for Democratic Governor Tony Evers said the state accessed federal funds rapidly by submitting a request to its electronic benefit card vendor within hours of Thursday’s court order.
In Oregon, Governor Tina Kotek reported that state employees “worked through the night” to ensure full November benefits would be available Friday, allowing families relying on SNAP to purchase groceries. Hawaii similarly had prepared information for November’s payments in advance, enabling quick processing after the court order and before a higher court could potentially pause it.
“We moved with haste once we verified everything,” said Joseph Campos II, deputy director of Hawaii’s Department of Human Services.
The Trump administration told the Supreme Court that these fast-acting states were “trying to seize what they could of the agency’s finite set of remaining funds, before any appeal could even be filed, and to the detriment of other States’ allotments.”
“Once those billions are out the door, there is no ready mechanism for the government to recover those funds,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in the court filing.
Officials in California, Washington state, Kansas, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania also reported moving quickly to issue full SNAP benefits Friday. Other states expected full benefits to arrive over the weekend or early the following week, while some waited for further federal guidance.
The legal dispute has extended weeks of uncertainty for low-income Americans who depend on these benefits. Individual SNAP recipients can receive a monthly maximum food benefit of nearly $300, while a family of four can receive up to nearly $1,000, though many receive less based on income calculations.
For some SNAP participants, the timing of their benefit payments remained unclear. Jasmen Youngbey of Newark, New Jersey, a single mother attending college with two young children, waited in line Friday at a food pantry. She initially reported her SNAP account balance was at zero.
“Not everybody has cash to pull out and say, ‘OK, I’m going to go and get this,’ especially with the cost of food right now,” she said. Later Friday, however, Youngbey confirmed she had received her monthly benefits.
The Trump administration had initially stated that SNAP benefits would not be available in November due to the government shutdown. However, two judges ruled last week that the administration could not skip November’s benefits entirely. U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ordered full payments on Thursday.
In both cases, judges ordered the government to use an emergency reserve fund containing more than $4.6 billion to pay for November SNAP benefits, while giving flexibility to tap other funds to make the full payments, which typically cost between $8.5 billion and $9 billion monthly.
On Monday, the administration announced it would not use additional money, arguing that Congress needed to appropriate funds for the program and that other funding was needed for child hunger programs. Thursday’s federal court order rejected the administration’s decision to cover only 65% of the maximum monthly benefit, which could have left some recipients with nothing this month.
In Friday’s court filings, the Trump administration contended that the judge had overstepped both legislative and executive authority by ordering SNAP benefits to be fully funded. “This unprecedented injunction makes a mockery of the separation of powers,” Sauer told the Supreme Court.
States continued to respond differently to the situation. Colorado and Massachusetts anticipated SNAP participants could receive full November payments by Saturday. New York expected full benefits to be available by Sunday, and New Hampshire projected full benefits would be accessible by the weekend. Arizona and Connecticut indicated full benefits should be available within days.
North Carolina officials said they distributed partial SNAP payments Friday, with full benefits potentially available by the weekend. Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, and North Dakota also reported distributing partial November payments.
Amid the federal uncertainty, Delaware’s Democratic Governor Matt Meyer said the state used its own funds Friday to provide the first of what could be weekly relief payments to SNAP recipients.
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12 Comments
This is an interesting development in the ongoing SNAP benefits saga. It will be important to see how the Supreme Court rules on this request to halt the full November payments. Ensuring vulnerable families have access to essential food assistance is critical, especially during economic hardship.
I agree, the SNAP program is a crucial social safety net that needs to be protected. The administration’s request raises concerns about potential political interference in the program.
This is a concerning development in the ongoing SNAP benefits saga. Ensuring vulnerable families have access to essential food assistance should be a top priority, regardless of political interests.
I agree, the SNAP program must be protected from political interference. The Supreme Court should uphold the lower court’s decision to provide full benefits for November.
This is an important test for the Supreme Court. They must prioritize the wellbeing of vulnerable Americans over political interests. Providing full SNAP payments is the right thing to do.
Well said. The SNAP program should be above partisan politics. I hope the Court upholds the lower court’s order to ensure families receive their full benefits.
It’s concerning to see the administration try to limit SNAP payments during the pandemic. This program is a critical lifeline, and any reduction in benefits could have devastating impacts on food insecure households.
I agree, the administration’s request is troubling. SNAP is an essential safety net, and the Court should reject any attempts to undermine or restrict this vital assistance.
The SNAP program provides vital nutrition assistance to millions of low-income Americans. I hope the Supreme Court recognizes the importance of maintaining full benefits during these challenging times.
Absolutely. SNAP is a lifeline for so many struggling families. Any disruption to these critical food benefits could have devastating consequences.
The SNAP program is a crucial part of the social safety net. Reducing benefits during an economic downturn would be a cruel and short-sighted move. I hope the Supreme Court upholds the lower court’s decision.
Absolutely. SNAP is a vital resource for millions of families struggling to put food on the table. The administration’s request is highly concerning and should be rejected.