Overview
- A late‑Saturday USDA memo instructed state agencies to halt full SNAP issuances and process only partial files reflecting about a 35% reduction from maximum allotments.
- The guidance warned that states defying the directive could lose the federal share of administrative funding and be held liable for any overpayments.
- States that loaded full benefits after lower‑court orders are resisting clawbacks; Wisconsin’s federal reimbursement was frozen, and filings warn of potential “catastrophic operational disruptions.”
- Leaders in New York and Massachusetts told recipients to keep using funds already on their cards, and several states have discussed or used state dollars to sustain November assistance.
- With the shutdown at roughly 40 days, SNAP’s first‑ever monthly lapse and reduced disbursements are driving surging demand at food banks as the appeals court considers the case.