Overview
- The USDA announced a Nov. 1 pause, posting that "the well has run dry," leaving roughly 42 million people without on-time benefits.
- Federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts ordered the administration to keep SNAP running with contingency funds and to report back by Nov. 3.
- Available reserves of about $5–6 billion fall short of the $8–9 billion needed for November, making partial or reduced payments a possibility.
- State EBT systems could take days to weeks to load funds or handle any pro-rated payments, so recipients should expect delays even if money is released.
- President Trump said he directed lawyers to seek court guidance on how to fund SNAP legally and pledged to provide funding with such direction, as states and food banks activate emergency relief.