WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced Monday that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will receive partial funding for November, following court orders to prevent a complete halt of benefits.

According to reporting by Politico, Reuters, and The Associated Press, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will allocate approximately $4.65 billion from SNAP contingency funds, covering roughly half of the program’s typical monthly payments.

SNAP serves about 42 million Americans and normally requires $8–9 billion each month to fully provide benefits.

This partial funding comes in the wake of a federal government shutdown that began in October, leaving programs with annual appropriations, including SNAP, without new authorized funding.

The USDA had initially indicated it did not have authority to use contingency funds for regular monthly benefits, but two federal judges ordered emergency funds be used to maintain at least partial support.

Recipients should expect reduced benefit amounts in November, and some states may experience delays of several weeks in distributing payments. New applicants in November will not receive benefits, as current contingency funds do not cover new certifications.

State officials and hunger-relief organizations are preparing for an increase in demand on food banks as families face a gap in food assistance.

Texas has yet removed a statement on their website, stating benefits were halted. It’s unknown when that might take place.

The USDA said existing funds on recipients’ EBT cards remain available for use.

Photo credit: PickPik