Overview
- A funding bill signed by President Donald Trump ended the 43‑day shutdown, and USDA told states the November benefit reduction is no longer in effect and full allotments are required.
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said most recipients should be paid by the end of the week or, at the latest, Monday, and USDA indicated funds would reach most states within 24 hours.
- Rollouts vary by state: Pennsylvania expects payments by week’s end, Maryland will complete on Nov. 18, Illinois by Nov. 20, and others are issuing top‑ups or reprocessing over several days.
- Operational constraints, including reliance on two primary EBT vendors and legacy systems, may slow processing even as states move to restore full benefits after weeks of partial or no payments.
- USDA says states that paid early will be reimbursed, but earlier legal fights and clawback threats sowed confusion; December benefits are expected to run normally and funding is authorized through fiscal 2026, even as new work rules and cost shifts under recent law could curtail access over time.