The Trump administration announced Monday that it will partially fund food aid for millions of Americans after two federal judges ordered it to use contingency funds to pay for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the ongoing government shutdown.
In a court filing in Rhode Island, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) outlined its plan to comply with US District Judge John McConnell’s order to use emergency funds to cover at least part of November’s SNAP benefits. The US Department of Justice confirmed that the USDA would spend all USD 5.25 billion in available contingency funds as directed.
However, the administration said it would not use other funds that could fully cover the program’s costs—typically between USD 8 billion and USD 9 billion per month—meaning only about half of eligible households will receive their normal benefits. Of the contingency funds, USD 600 million will go toward states’ administrative costs, leaving USD 4.65 billion to partially fund benefits.
This marks the first time in SNAP’s history that only partial payments will be issued. A USDA official cautioned that some states may need several weeks or even months to adjust their systems to distribute reduced benefits.
SNAP provides monthly food assistance to Americans earning less than 130% of the federal poverty line—currently about USD 1,632 per month for an individual and USD 2,215 for a two-person household.
The shutdown, which began October 1, has created deep uncertainty about the program’s future, as the USDA previously warned it lacked funds to sustain full benefits and planned to suspend them entirely starting November 1.
Judges McConnell and Indira Talwani of Boston both ruled Friday that the administration could also access an additional USD 23 billion fund, but USDA Deputy Under Secretary Patrick Penn said the agency decided to reserve those funds for child nutrition programs rather than SNAP.
– Ends
With inputs from Reuters
Tune In
