USDA Will Deliver Partial SNAP Benefits in November After Court-Ordered Release of Funds

Overview

• The plan uses $5.2 billion in SNAP contingency money, with $600 million for state administration and $4.6 billion to cover roughly half of eligible households’ November allotments, an unprecedented partial payment.
• The Justice Department said the USDA is complying with an order by U.S. District Judge John McConnell, following rulings by him and Judge Indira Talwani directing the use of emergency funds.
• USDA official Patrick Penn told the court the department will not tap roughly $23 billion it says must remain available for child-nutrition programs.
• State agencies warned they may need weeks or even months to reconfigure systems for reduced benefits, leaving the timing of payments uncertain.
• SNAP serves about 42 million people and typically costs $8–9 billion per month, creating a multibillion-dollar gap as the shutdown reaches day 33.