Overview
- President Donald Trump signed the funding bill to reopen the government, restoring appropriations for SNAP after a 43‑day shutdown.
- USDA told states most recipients should see benefits within 24 hours of reopening, though some agencies must reprocess files that could take several days.
- A Massachusetts judge ordered USDA to release contingency funds to EBT processors by noon Nov. 13, locking in reduced November disbursements of up to roughly 65% where full payments had not gone out.
- Payment patterns remain uneven nationwide, with at least 19 states and D.C. issuing some full benefits during a brief legal window and others sending only partial or no payments; examples include Maryland’s state-funded partials and Ohio recipients reporting amounts below the expected 65%.
- Roughly 42 million people were affected by the lapse, and food banks report extraordinary surges in demand, including spikes as high as 1,800% in parts of West Virginia.