People in some U.S. states will be able to buy groceries with federally funded SNAP benefits this Saturday, while those in other states are still waiting for their November food benefits. The delay comes after a protracted legal battle linked to the recent federal government shutdown.
### Background on the SNAP Delay
Last month, the Trump administration initially announced it would not fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November due to the government shutdown. Since then, the situation has seen multiple developments, increasing uncertainty for nearly 1 in 8 Americans who rely on monthly SNAP benefits to purchase groceries at stores and farmers’ markets.
On Friday, following a federal judge’s order, some states began issuing full monthly SNAP benefits. However, later that night, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily paused the judicial order. This pause was to allow an appeals court time to decide whether to issue a more permanent halt. Justice Jackson handles emergency matters originating from Massachusetts.
### How Are SNAP Recipients Faring?
Nearly 42 million Americans receive SNAP benefits—formerly known as food stamps—to help with grocery expenses. The majority of recipients have incomes below the poverty line, which is about $32,000 annually for a family of four.
An individual can receive a maximum monthly food benefit of nearly $300, while a family of four can receive up to nearly $1,000. Many, however, receive less based on a formula that considers their income.
The delay in payments has caused a surge in demand at food banks and pantries nationwide. Long lines for free meals and drive-thru giveaways have become common. In response, some states have provided emergency funding to food banks and even used state dollars to issue direct payments while federal benefits remain in limbo.
### States That Have Already Issued Benefits
Whether SNAP recipients have received their November payments largely depends on their state of residence.
– In **Hawaii, Oregon, and Wisconsin**, officials acted swiftly after the judge’s order on Thursday to instruct Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) providers to process the full payments. Joseph Campos II, deputy director of Hawaii’s Department of Human Services, told The Associated Press, “We moved with haste once we verified everything.”
– Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, a Democrat, said state employees “worked through the night” to ensure full November benefits were issued so that every family relying on SNAP could purchase groceries over the weekend.
– Officials in **California, Kansas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington** confirmed that some SNAP recipients received their full November payments on Friday. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, also a Democrat, reported that over 250,000 households that missed their SNAP payments earlier in the month got their full benefit on Friday.
The remaining beneficiaries in these states are expected to receive their payments on their regularly scheduled dates later this month, unless further legal challenges delay distribution.
The Trump administration has stated in a Supreme Court filing that “there is no ready mechanism for the government to recover those funds” that have already been distributed.
### When Will Other States See Payments?
Before Justice Jackson ordered the temporary pause, several states planned to distribute full SNAP benefits soon:
– **Colorado** and **Massachusetts** anticipated issuing full payments as early as Saturday.
– **New York** expected access to benefits to begin by Sunday.
– **New Hampshire** aimed to have full benefits available over the weekend.
– **Arizona, Connecticut, and Minnesota** planned to make full benefits accessible in the coming days.
However, whether all these recipients will see funds on their EBT cards as scheduled remains uncertain. Many state officials are still awaiting further guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers SNAP.
For recipients in other states, the wait for November benefits may extend into next week.
### What Has Caused the Delay?
The delay stems from the federal government shutdown. Initially, the Trump administration declared November SNAP benefits would not be funded.
After two judges ruled that the administration could not skip November payments entirely, the administration opted to use an emergency reserve fund of over $4.6 billion to provide partial benefits for the month.
A judge later ruled that partial payments were insufficient and ordered the use of additional funds to issue full monthly payments.
In response, the Trump administration appealed, seeking to suspend any orders requiring expenditures beyond the contingency fund. This legal back-and-forth led to Justice Jackson’s temporary stay issued late Friday night.
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*This report includes contributions from Associated Press reporters across the United States.*
https://ktar.com/national-news/people-in-some-states-get-snap-food-aid-while-others-still-wait-for-their-november-benefits/5772567/
