States administering a federal food aid program serving about 42 million Americans faced uncertainty Monday over whether they can — and should — provide full monthly benefits during an ongoing legal battle involving the U.S. government shutdown.
President Donald Trump’s administration over the weekend demanded that states “undo” full benefits that were paid under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during a one-day window between when a federal judge ordered full funding and a Supreme Court justice put a temporary pause on that order.
A federal appeals court is considering whether to impose a longer halt to the full benefits. Congress is also debating whether to fund SNAP as part of a proposal to end the government shutdown.
Some states are warning of “catastrophic operational disruptions” if the Trump administration does not reimburse them for those SNAP benefits they already authorized. In the meantime, other states are providing partial monthly SNAP benefits with federal money or using their own funds to load electronic benefit cards for SNAP recipients.
Millions Receive Aid While Others Wait
The Trump administration initially claimed that SNAP benefits would not be available in November due to the government shutdown. After some states and nonprofit entities sued, two judges ruled against the administration, asserting that it could not skip November’s benefits entirely.
The administration then proposed using an emergency reserve fund to offer 65% of the maximum monthly benefit. However, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell declared that such measures were insufficient, ordering full funding for SNAP benefits by Friday.
Following this ruling, some states quickly acted to direct their EBT vendors to issue full monthly benefits to SNAP recipients, allowing millions in those areas to receive funds for groceries before an appeal paused the order on Friday night.
Millions more people have yet to receive SNAP payments for November because their states are withholding payment pending guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Trump administration argues that the judicial order for full benefits transgresses the Constitution by encroaching on the legislative and executive branches' spending power.
States Fighting Against Attempts to Freeze SNAP Benefits
On Sunday, the Trump administration claimed that states acted too quickly in issuing full benefits following the judges' rulings. Patrick Penn, deputy undersecretary of Agriculture, instructed state directors to immediately reverse any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025, warning penalties could follow compliance failures.
Wisconsin, one of the first states to distribute full benefits, saw its federal reimbursements halted. Consequently, its SNAP account faced depletion as of Monday, potentially leaving no funds for reimbursing food stores.
Some Democratic governors, including Connecticut's Ned Lamont, have assured their constituents that there will be no retraction of previously awarded benefits, emphasizing the essential support for those reliant on SNAP.
“No, Connecticut does not need to take back SNAP benefits already sent to the 360,000 people who depend on them for food and who should have never been caught in the middle of this political fight,” Lamont stated. “We have their back.”
