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16h ago

SNAP Payments Lapse as Judges Order White House to Tap Emergency Funds

Limited reserves plus operational hurdles keep November SNAP timing uncertain.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 30: An EBT sign is displayed on the window of a grocery store on October 30, 2025 in the Flatbush neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough in New York City. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and other assistance are set to stop on November 1st amid a federal government shutdown that has been going on for 29 days and is the second-longest shutdown in the nation's history. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for extra emergency funds and personnel to be deployed, as SNAP payments will be suspended. About 42 million Americans are expected to lose access to their benefits. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Overview

  • The USDA posted that “the well has run dry” and said no benefits would be issued on Nov. 1.
  • Federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts ordered the administration to use contingency funds and to report by Monday on whether November benefits will be partial or fully funded.
  • The White House disputes its legal authority to use certain funds, and President Trump asked courts for clarification while cautioning that payments will still be delayed once approved.
  • Available reserves are estimated at $5–6 billion versus $8–9 billion needed for a typical month, and state EBT system changes could take days or weeks to execute.
  • Millions experienced an immediate lapse or delay as states, cities and food banks mounted stopgaps, including Denver’s new food assistance task force and expanded donation drives.