Overview
- USDA told federal courts Monday it will exhaust the SNAP contingency reserve and disburse about 50% of typical November benefits.
- Officials said they will not repurpose other nutrition accounts, calling the use of Section 32 child nutrition funds an unacceptable risk.
- Recalculations and EBT system changes mean payouts will be delayed, with some states needing weeks or longer to load reduced amounts.
- Orders from Judges John McConnell Jr. in Rhode Island and Indira Talwani in Massachusetts required the government to continue payments and to report plans by Monday.
- Food banks and states are mounting emergency distributions as 42 million recipients see lapses, and funding for December remains uncertain if the shutdown continues.