Overview
- Federal judges ordered the administration to tap roughly $4.6–$5 billion in contingency funds, and USDA guidance instructs states to limit November SNAP allotments to about half the usual maximum.
- States say payments will be delayed as agencies recalculate benefits and EBT vendors process changes, with Minnesota warning of weeks-long system recoding and reporting a vendor halt on some October applications.
- The White House says it will comply with court orders for partial payments, while President Trump publicly threatened to withhold benefits until the shutdown ends, prompting advocates to seek enforcement in court.
- Local strain is intensifying: San Diego supervisors sent an emergency letter to USDA, Florida food banks reported steep demand, and Arizona’s state-backed Food Bucks Now vouchers are already running low.
- Some states are weighing stopgaps to fill the gap—Utah Senate Democrats urged using rainy-day funds and Nevada Democrats plan to propose a temporary state-funded SNAP supplement—while Montana officials cautioned benefits may only arrive in the coming weeks for many of the 42 million recipients.