Court Orders Continued SNAP Benefits: What You Need to Know

Just hours before benefits were slated to expire, two federal judges mandated on Friday that the Trump administration utilize emergency funds to sustain the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) amid the ongoing government shutdown.However, the judges from Massachusetts and Rhode Island permitted the administration to choose between fully funding the program for November or issuing partial payments.SNAP assists one in eight Americans with grocery expenses monthly, including over 10 million Black individuals, with the average benefit reaching $187.The U.S. Department of Agriculture indicated it would halt SNAP payments starting November 1, attributing the issue to a lack of funds and faulting Democrats for the shutdown. Republicans are seeking bipartisan support to finance the government for the upcoming fiscal year, while Democrats demand the reversal of cuts to Affordable Care Act subsidies.Democratic attorneys general and governors from 25 states, along with the District of Columbia, filed lawsuits against the administration regarding the anticipated lapse in SNAP benefits. The Trump administration argued that the USDA required congressional action before allocating benefits. U.S. District Judge John McConnell deemed the administration’s refusal to utilize contingency funds as arbitrary, asserting that severe harm could ensue from the uncertainty surrounding food assistance.