SNAP will get partial funding to keep feeding millions of Americans despite the program running out of cash at the start of the month due to the ongoing government shutdown, the Trump administration confirmed in court documents Monday.
Details about how much of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will remain funded and for how long it will be kept afloat are unclear. The Trump administration had been ordered by two courts to continue payments despite the shutdown.
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“Per orders issued by the United States District Courts for the Districts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, FNS [Food and Nutrition Service] intends to deplete SNAP contingency funds completely and provide reduced SNAP benefits for November 2025,” a Department of Agriculture official attested in court documents.
SNAP had about $6 billion worth of contingency funds intended for emergencies such as hurricanes and other natural disasters that could spark an urgent need for food assistance.
Each month, the government spends about $8 billion on SNAP. While it’s not fully clear how much of a reduction in benefits SNAP beneficiaries will get, the Department of Agriculture indicated that people will be able to petition their benefits.
“In addition to adjusting eligibility and benefit issuance files to accommodate the reduction, States must notify all SNAP households of the reduction, as well as handle any requests for fair hearings from SNAP households related to the reduction,” the official added.
