Overview
- Federal judges directed the USDA to tap about $4.65 billion in contingency money, which the agency says will only support partial November SNAP payments for roughly 42 million people.
- USDA officials told the court the partial-pay approach is unprecedented and will require EBT system reprogramming that could take days or longer, leading to uneven timelines across states.
- North Carolina and Massachusetts agencies say they expect to load reduced benefits next week, while Philadelphia officials warned it could take at least 10 days for cards to be reloaded.
- Delaware launched a temporary First State Food Relief Funds program that will issue 25% of a household’s normal monthly SNAP through weekly EBT payments, with first disbursements expected Nov. 7.
- President Donald Trump posted that benefits would wait until the shutdown ends, but Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration is complying with the court order as food banks report surging demand and cities stand up short-term aid.