The Trump administration has approved the use of contingency funds to provide partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as the government shutdown stretches on. USDA official Patrick Penn confirmed that roughly $5.2 billion from the program’s contingency fund will be used to deliver reduced benefits for November, CBS News reports.
Covering the full month’s benefits would require about $9 billion, leaving a multibillion-dollar shortfall even after the contingency funds are depleted. SNAP, which helps feed more than 42 million Americans, lost its main source of federal funding over the weekend due to the shutdown.
Ordinarily, the federal government transfers money to states to administer the program, but the funding lapse triggered legal action from states and nonprofit organizations urging the administration to deploy the contingency funds. Penn’s statement followed a federal judge’s order in a case led by nonprofits and municipalities. Judge John McConnell directed the administration to tap into the contingency fund and provide an update by Monday.
A separate case filed by over two dozen states and Washington, D.C., resulted in a similar order. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that the administration would not appeal the rulings.
The administration and congressional Republicans had previously argued that the contingency fund could not be used for SNAP benefits once regular appropriations expired. Both judges disagreed, ruling that the funds must be used to cover at least part of the gap.
Judge McConnell also urged the government to seek additional funding to fully cover November’s payments, but allowed partial payments as long as they are distributed no later than Wednesday. It remains unclear how much beneficiaries will receive or when the funds will appear on their debit cards, according to the Associated Press. In some states, it can take up to two weeks for benefits to be loaded.