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17h ago

SNAP Payments Halt for 42 Million as Judge Orders Restart Within Days

Court deadlines push the administration to use limited contingency funds for a possible partial payout this week.

Carts full of groceries wait to be given to people in need at Curley’s House Food Bank days before the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are jeopardized due to the Federal government shutdown on October 30, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
FILE - Brock Brooks, a disable Marine Corps veteran, cries while describing the impending SNAP shutdowns while waiting in line to enter the food pantry service at Calvary Episcopal Church on Oct. 30, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry, file)

Overview

  • A Rhode Island federal judge ordered the administration to use roughly $6 billion in SNAP contingency funds, requiring full November payments by Monday or partial payments by Wednesday, with a compliance plan due by noon Monday.
  • The administration says it needs legal direction before releasing funds and warns distribution will take days; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said benefits could restart as soon as Wednesday.
  • USDA estimates roughly $8.5 to $9.2 billion is needed for a full month of benefits, so reserves fall short; the judge suggested assessing a separate child nutrition account of about $23 billion.
  • Operational lags from paused state issuance mean EBT cards may not reload for days to weeks even if money is released, leaving households to rely on interim help.
  • States and communities are deploying stopgaps as demand surges at food banks, with Virginia launching a state-funded VENA program starting Monday and nonprofits and businesses expanding distributions in cities from Los Angeles and New York to Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver and Rochester.