The Trump administration announced on Monday that it will partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) after two judges issued rulings requiring the program to continue operating. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had initially planned to freeze payments starting November 1 due to the federal government shutdown, citing a lack of funding. SNAP serves approximately 1 in 8 Americans and is a crucial component of the nation’s social safety net, costing over $8 billion per month.
With an emergency fund of $4.65 billion available, the government is able to cover about half of the normal benefits for SNAP recipients. However, exhausting this fund could lead to a similar situation in December if the shutdown persists. The exact amount beneficiaries will receive and the timeline for the distribution of funds remain unclear, as November payments have already been delayed for millions of individuals.
The USDA stated that it would provide guidance to states on calculating partial benefits per household and initiating the process of loading funds onto SNAP cards. This process involves coordination between state and federal agencies, as well as vendors, and can take up to two weeks in some states. The average monthly benefit for SNAP recipients is typically around $190 per person.
In response to the government’s initial announcement of halting SNAP benefits for November, states have taken measures to support food banks and explore alternative methods to provide aid to beneficiaries. Some states are using state taxpayer dollars to reload benefit cards, while others have implemented systems to ensure continued access to groceries.
Federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island issued separate rulings directing the government to use emergency funds to partially finance the SNAP program. President Trump expressed his desire for SNAP payments to resume promptly, emphasizing the importance of preventing Americans from going hungry during the shutdown. Democratic state attorneys general and governors from 25 states, along with the District of Columbia, challenged the administration’s decision to pause the program, asserting a legal obligation to maintain SNAP operations.
Advocates and beneficiaries have voiced concerns that discontinuing SNAP benefits would place individuals in a challenging position of choosing between purchasing groceries and meeting other financial obligations. States like Rhode Island and Delaware have implemented strategies to provide partial benefits to SNAP recipients while navigating the ongoing funding challenges.
To qualify for SNAP assistance in 2025, a household’s net income after certain expenses must not exceed the federal poverty line, which is approximately $32,000 per year for a family of four. The efforts to ensure the continuity of SNAP benefits reflect the significance of this program in supporting vulnerable populations across the country.
