The US Supreme Court has temporarily allowed the Trump administration to withhold about $4 billion in food aid for low-income Americans amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. This funding is meant to fully cover SNAP (food stamps) benefits for November, assisting around 42 million Americans.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued the administrative stay, giving a lower court more time to consider the administration’s request to partially fund the program. SNAP benefits typically cost between $8.5 billion and $9 billion per month.
The temporary pause comes after US District Judge John McConnell ordered the USDA to provide emergency funding to partially cover November benefits. The judge also instructed the USDA to cover the remaining shortfall using funds from a child nutrition program with over $23 billion in available resources. McConnell accused the administration of withholding benefits for political reasons.
The Trump administration had initially planned to suspend SNAP benefits entirely, citing funding issues caused by the shutdown. Legal challengers—including cities, unions, and nonprofits—argued that delaying benefits would harm nearly one in eight Americans who rely on SNAP.
The 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals has denied a preliminary stay but is expected to rule soon on the administration’s formal appeal. In the meantime, some states, including New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, have moved to distribute full SNAP benefits for November, following a USDA memo.
This is the first time in SNAP’s 60-year history that benefits have lapsed at the start of a month, forcing recipients to rely on food pantries and make tough budget choices. SNAP provides monthly support for households earning less than 130% of the federal poverty line, with maximum benefits of $298 for one-person households and $546 for two-person households in 2026.
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