The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is facing major disruption after the Donald Trump administration instructed states not to issue full November benefits. The directive comes amid a record-breaking federal government shutdown now entering its sixth week.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a memorandum telling states that any payment files already submitted for full benefits were “unauthorized,” and demanded an immediate reversal. States face threats of losing federal reimbursement funds if they do not comply.
While a federal judge previously ordered full SNAP payments to go out, the Supreme Court of the United States temporarily stayed that ruling, allowing the administration to limit disbursements. As a result, benefits are being reduced to approximately 65 % of their usual amount—leaving around 42 million Americans in limbo as they await their full food-assistance payments.
States accustomed to relying on timely federal support—such as New York, Wisconsin and Massachusetts—have described the shifting instructions as a “catastrophic operational disruption.” With funding halted and program guidance unclear, nonprofit hunger-relief agencies are bracing for increased demand.
Federal officials say the contingency fund tapped for partial payments is insufficient to cover full benefits; one official noted that the program typically requires approximately $9 billion per month. With no end in sight to the shutdown, many recipients are facing delayed or reduced food-assistance access for the first time in the program’s history.