Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments — also known as food stamps — are at the center of an ongoing legal battle amid the government shutdown.
SNAP funding ran out November 1, according to Donald Trump’s administration. The government could be on a path to reopen after the Senate reportedly reached a tentative funding deal over the weekend. But the measure still needs approval from the House and Senate — and Trump’s signature — before it can take effect and reopen the government.
SNAP funds, which are distributed by the federal government to states each month, support roughly one in eight families, who receive an average of $188 per person per month, or about $6 per day. Those funds are administered on prepaid cards that can be used to pay for groceries.
Meanwhile, many of the 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP benefits to feed their families are still uncertain when they’ll receive their November funds.
While some beneficiaries have already seen payments, millions of families are still waiting for critical assistance to buy groceries, and uncertainty is growing as the legal battle surrounding the program stretches on.
Here’s what you need to know about the future of SNAP payments:
It’s still unclear when SNAP recipients might receive their full November payments, and it could vary by state. While the USDA oversees SNAP, each state is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the program.
The timeline depends largely on when the shutdown ends. The current deal, if approved, would fund SNAP through September 2026.
If the government reopens and SNAP is funded, payments should resume as normal, but delays and confusion are still possible, according to Wendy Weller, an associate professor in the Department of Health Policy, Management and Behavior at the University at Albany, State University of New York.
“In theory, if it’s fully funded, they just pick up where they left off, it should be fine, but I can see that being delayed,” she told The Independent.
Crystal FitzSimons, president of the Food Research and Action Center, told The Independent that the timeline for payments “is going to depend on the state.” Some states may move “really quickly,” while others may need more time, she noted.
“If states haven’t prepared or are not tracking this as closely, they may take a little bit longer, because it does take time for states to put together benefit levels and all of that,” FitzSimons said.
SNAP benefits have been at the center of a complicated legal battle since late last month after two major lawsuits called on federal courts to intervene and restart federal funds to keep families from going hungry.
The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to let it freeze fully funding SNAP benefits amid the shutdown. The requests followed appeals court rulings that have refused to block a judge’s order requiring the Trump administration to fully fund the program.
