The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says it is moving to fully fund November SNAP benefits, following a federal court order issued this week.
In a letter to state agencies, officials said they are completing the steps needed to make the funds available, and states will soon be able to send full benefit files to EBT processors, which load SNAP money onto benefit cards.
A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to restore full benefits, calling the earlier plan for partial payments “arbitrary and capricious.” The administration has appealed, but is taking steps to comply while the case moves forward.
RELATED STORY | Trump administration appeals order to fully fund SNAP benefits for November
SNAP funding lapsed due to the government shutdown, which has now stretched on for more than a month.
States and nonprofits sued to require the federal government to use contingency funds to make sure SNAP funds are paid out. The administration initially argued that contingency funds were not enough to cover all SNAP benefits. But the judge ruled the government must use all legally available reserve funds within USDA to ensure that full payments go out.
