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Trump government to tap backup funds for partial food stamp payments
(MENAFN) The Trump administration has announced that more than 42 million Americans will receive reduced food assistance as the ongoing government shutdown approaches record-breaking length.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated in a court filing that recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, will get half of their usual monthly benefits by drawing on emergency funds. Federal judges had previously given the administration until Monday to outline a plan for distributing SNAP payments during the shutdown.
Although SNAP benefits are administered by individual states, the program depends on federal funding, which has been unavailable since the government shut down on October 1. The USDA said states will receive guidance on distributing the partial funds by the end of Monday.
Judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled that the USDA must use $5.25 billion in emergency funding to provide at least partial SNAP payments. The program costs roughly $8 billion per month, and the courts allowed the administration to tap contingency funds to meet this requirement.
President Trump said he had directed government lawyers to seek legal guidance on how to fund SNAP during the shutdown, acknowledging that even with immediate approval, payments could still be delayed. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNN that the administration is awaiting court guidance but noted that partial payments could begin as early as Wednesday. “There's a process that has to be followed,” he said. “So, we've got to figure out what the process is.”
Earlier, the USDA had announced it would stop distributing SNAP funds starting November 1, saying, “The well has run dry.” In response, half of the US states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits arguing the administration was legally required to continue payments. Cities and non-profit organizations also filed separate suits, while some states pledged to cover SNAP benefits using their own funds.
SNAP provides low-income Americans with reloadable debit cards to purchase groceries. On average, a family of four receives $715 per month, roughly $6 per person per day.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated in a court filing that recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, will get half of their usual monthly benefits by drawing on emergency funds. Federal judges had previously given the administration until Monday to outline a plan for distributing SNAP payments during the shutdown.
Although SNAP benefits are administered by individual states, the program depends on federal funding, which has been unavailable since the government shut down on October 1. The USDA said states will receive guidance on distributing the partial funds by the end of Monday.
Judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled that the USDA must use $5.25 billion in emergency funding to provide at least partial SNAP payments. The program costs roughly $8 billion per month, and the courts allowed the administration to tap contingency funds to meet this requirement.
President Trump said he had directed government lawyers to seek legal guidance on how to fund SNAP during the shutdown, acknowledging that even with immediate approval, payments could still be delayed. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNN that the administration is awaiting court guidance but noted that partial payments could begin as early as Wednesday. “There's a process that has to be followed,” he said. “So, we've got to figure out what the process is.”
Earlier, the USDA had announced it would stop distributing SNAP funds starting November 1, saying, “The well has run dry.” In response, half of the US states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits arguing the administration was legally required to continue payments. Cities and non-profit organizations also filed separate suits, while some states pledged to cover SNAP benefits using their own funds.
SNAP provides low-income Americans with reloadable debit cards to purchase groceries. On average, a family of four receives $715 per month, roughly $6 per person per day.
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