Overview
- Most states have reloaded November benefits, yet pockets of recipients remain unpaid due to technical backlogs, including at least 5,000 in Tennessee and widespread delays reported in Mississippi tied to decades‑old systems.
- Food banks and pantries continue to see unusually high demand, with City Harvest planning to distribute about 1 million more pounds than last November and Food Bank New York City reporting some sites saw 300% more visitors and 20% turned people away.
- Households report lasting fallout from the pause, including skipped meals, new credit card debt, and deferred bills, while some local grocers said early‑month sales fell 20% to 25% and a few covered customers’ tabs when possible.
- The One Big Beautiful Bill expands work rules to ages 55–64 and some parents, repeals exemptions for groups including veterans and people experiencing homelessness, and limits waivers, with the CBO estimating an average monthly caseload drop of about 2.4 million over the next decade.
- State implementation is underway as advocates warn paperwork and processing delays could cause eligible people to lose aid, with projections showing large potential losses in states such as California (about 368,000) and New York (about 317,000).