WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tens of millions of Americans enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, may see their November benefits delayed. However, two federal judges have ordered the Trump administration to use emergency funds to provide at least partial payments.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had halted November allocations due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, prompting lawsuits from a coalition of Democratic-led states and advocacy groups.
Court Rulings and Administration Response
- Rhode Island Ruling: U.S. District Judge John McConnell released a written ruling ordering the administration to make a partial SNAP payment using the USDA’s contingency funds by Wednesday. McConnell also urged the USDA, within its discretion, to find additional funds to provide full benefits by the end of Monday, noting that full payments would be simpler to issue than partial ones.
- Boston Ruling: U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ruled that the USDA must use its contingency fund to cover November benefits partially and gave the administration until Monday to decide whether to supplement those funds with other resources.
- President Trump responded late Friday, stating he had instructed administration lawyers to seek guidance on how to legally fund the benefits quickly.
Delays and Financial Obstacles
Despite the court orders, the much-needed assistance will be delayed. States had stopped the process of issuing November benefits after an October 10 order from the USDA. This administrative process must restart before funds can be loaded onto recipients’ benefit cards.
A significant challenge is the shortfall in the contingency fund.
- The emergency fund holds $5.3 billion, while the total cost for November benefits is approximately $8.2 billion.
- Providing only a partial payment would require state agencies to recode their systems to calculate reduced allotments. This process could take weeks or months and potentially lead to errors, according to USDA officials.
- Providing full payments by augmenting the contingency fund with other available funds, such as tariff revenue, would be the fastest method to distribute assistance to recipients; however, the administration has expressed concern over diverting those funds from other programs.
Approximately 13.7 million SNAP enrollees were expected to receive their benefits by November 5, but advocacy groups confirm the payments “are not going out on time.” The administration may still appeal the judges’ decisions.
