With the longest The US government shutdown is overState officials said Thursday they are working quickly to get full SNAP food benefits to millions of people who have received little or no assistance over the past two weeks.
Back and forth A series of judicial rulings The policy shift from President Donald Trump’s administration led to a patchwork of November benefits being distributed under emergency law Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. While some states have already issued full SNAP benefits, about two-thirds of states issued only partial benefits or no benefits at all before the government shutdown ended late Wednesday, according to an Associated Press tally.
The USDA, which administers the program, issued new guidance on Thursday, stating: “State agencies must take immediate steps to ensure families receive their full November allotments immediately.”
Federal food program It serves about 42 million people, about 1 in 8 Americans, in low-income households. They earn an average of about $190 per month per person, although this does not necessarily cover the full cost of groceries for a typical month.
Because of uncertainty about benefits, the USDA asked states to exempt November from the federal requirement that most adult SNAP recipients work, volunteer or participate in job training for at least 80 hours per month. Under normal circumstances, recipients can spend only three months in three years without meeting work requirements.
States are going from zero to full speed to get the benefits
In some states where SNAP recipients received nothing during November, officials said they are working to load money onto people’s electronic benefit cards by Friday, if not sooner.
The full SNAP benefits for November are expected to be available at midnight for people to buy groceries, the Arkansas Department of Human Services said Thursday.
“This has been difficult for our beneficiaries, and we deeply appreciate our partners across the state who have helped fill the gap through food pantries, donation drives and other assistance efforts,” Secretary Janet Mann said in a statement.
Officials in South Carolina and West Virginia, which also have not issued November benefits, said the full monthly amount should be available by Friday. Alabama said full SNAP benefits should be released Thursday.
North Carolina, which issued partial benefits last week, said full monthly SNAP benefits should be uploaded to people’s electronic cards by Friday. Colorado said it switched from offering partial to full SNAP benefits on Thursday.
The Illinois Department of Human Services, which previously issued partial benefits for November, said Thursday that it is “working to restore full SNAP benefits.” But that won’t happen right away.
“We expect that the remaining benefit payments will be made over several days, starting tomorrow, and that all SNAP beneficiaries will receive their full benefits for November by November 20,” the department said in a statement.
The temporary halt of SNAP payments has made some families nervous
Delayed SNAP payments have presented another complication for Lee Harris’ family since his wife was laid off a few months ago.
Harris, 34, said the North Little Rock, Arkansas, family got help from his temple and received food left by someone who was moving. Thanks to that help — and the knowledge that other families had greater needs — they moved beyond the occasional food pantry stop they used.
They and their three daughters have been able to keep meals fairly close to normal despite missing a SNAP payment this week. But they still suffer from stress and uncertainty.
“I don’t know a definitive ending, and I don’t know how much I need to expand what I have in store,” Harris said.
Federal legislation funds SNAP for a year
The USDA told the states on October 24 that It will not be financed SNAP Benefits for November Amid Government Shutdown. Several Democratic-led states have sued to restore the funding.
After the judges ruled The Trump administration must tap reserves to fund SNAP, and the administration has said it will fund up to 65% of its regular allotment. When a judge later ordered full benefits, some states scrambled to quickly load SNAP benefits onto participants’ cards during a one-day window before the Supreme Court halted that order on Friday.
Meanwhile, other states have moved forward with partial benefits, and still others have not issued anything pending further USDA guidance on the situation.
Amid uncertainty over federal SNAP funding, some states have tapped their own funds to provide direct assistance to SNAP recipients or additional funds for SNAP programs. Nonprofit food banks.
The legislation to reopen the US government provides full SNAP benefits not only for November, but also for the remainder of the federal fiscal year, which runs through next September. Citing that legislation, the Justice Department on Thursday dropped its request for the Supreme Court to continue blocking an injunction to pay SNAP benefits in full.
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Associated Press writers Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; Andrew DeMelo in Little Rock, Arkansas; John O’Connor in Springfield, Illinois; John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia; Colin Slevin in Denver contributed to this report.
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