With the longest U.S. Government shutdown over, state officials said Thursday that they are working quickly to get full SNAP food benefits to millions of people who made do with little-to-no assistance for the past couple of weeks.
TL;DR
- State officials are distributing $190 per person to 42 million Americans after a government shutdown delayed SNAP benefits.
- About two-thirds of states issued partial or no November SNAP benefits due to court rulings and shifting policies.
- New USDA instructions require states to promptly ensure households receive their full November SNAP allotments.
- Federal legislation now ensures full SNAP benefits for November and the remainder of the fiscal year.
A back-and-forth series of court rulings and shifting policies from President Donald Trump’s administration has led to a patchwork distribution of November benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. While some states already had issued full SNAP benefits, about two-thirds of states had issued only partial benefits or none at all before the government shutdown ended late Wednesday, according to an Associated Press tally.
New instructions were released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the agency overseeing the program, stating: “State agencies must take immediate steps to ensure households receive their full November allotments promptly.”
The federal food program provides assistance to approximately 42 million individuals, roughly one in eight Americans, residing in lower-income households. On average, each person gets about $190 each month, though this amount may not fully cover typical monthly grocery expenses.
Due to uncertainty regarding benefits, the USDA instructed states to exempt November from a federal mandate requiring most adult SNAP recipients to engage in work, volunteering, or job training for a minimum of 80 hours monthly. Typically, recipients are limited to three months within a three-year period without fulfilling these work obligations.
States shifting from zero to full speed for benefits
In some states where SNAP recipients had received nothing during November, officials said they are working to load money on to people’s electronic benefit cards by Friday, if not sooner.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services announced Thursday that complete November SNAP benefits should be accessible by midnight, enabling individuals to purchase food.
“This has been difficult for our beneficiaries, and we are incredibly appreciative to our partners across the state who helped bridge the gap through food pantries, donation drives, and other assistance efforts,” department Secretary Janet Mann said in a statement.
South Carolina and West Virginia, states that had also not distributed November benefits, indicated that the complete monthly sum would be accessible by Friday. Alabama, meanwhile, stated that full SNAP benefits were expected to be distributed on Thursday.
By Friday, North Carolina expects to have fully loaded monthly SNAP benefits onto people's electronic cards, after issuing partial benefits last week. Colorado announced it would transition from partial to full SNAP benefit delivery on Thursday.
The Illinois Department of Human Services, having previously distributed some November benefits, announced Thursday that it is “working to restore full SNAP benefits.” However, this change won't be immediate.
“We anticipate that the remaining benefit payments will be made over several days, starting tomorrow,” the department said in a statement, and that “all SNAP recipients will receive their full November benefits by November 20th.”
Paused SNAP payments stirred stress for some families
The delay in SNAP payments presented an additional challenge for Lee Harris' household, as his wife lost her job several months prior.
The 34-year-old Harris mentioned that his family in North Little Rock, Arkansas, received aid from his temple and food from someone relocating. This support, coupled with the awareness of other families facing more severe needs, led them to forgo a visit to the food pantry they occasionally frequented.
Despite a missing SNAP payment this week, they and their three daughters have managed to keep meals mostly as usual, though stress and uncertainty remain.
“Not knowing a definite end,” Harris said, “I don’t know how much I need to stretch what I have in our pantry.”
Federal legislation funds SNAP for a year
On October 24th, the USDA informed states that it would not fund SNAP benefits would be provided for November, despite the government shutdown. Several states, led by Democrats, filed lawsuits to reinstate the funding.
After judges ruled the Trump administration must tap into reserves to fund SNAP, the administration said it would fund up to 65% of its regular allocations. When a judge subsequently ordered full benefits, some states scrambled to quickly load SNAP benefits onto participants’ cards during a one-day window before the Supreme Court put that order on hold Friday.
While some states moved ahead with partial aid, others provided no assistance, pending additional USDA direction on the matter.
With federal SNAP funding in question, certain states utilized their own financial resources to offer direct assistance to SNAP recipients or supplementary funds for nonprofit food banks.
The law that reopens the U.S. Government ensures full SNAP benefits for November and the rest of the federal fiscal year, concluding next September. Citing this law, the Justice Department on Thursday withdrew its plea for The Supreme Court to maintain a halt on a court order mandating full SNAP benefit payments.
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This report was compiled with contributions from Associated Press writers Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas; John O’Connor in Springfield, Illinois; John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia; and Colleen Slevin in Denver.