SCOTUS Extends Order Blocking Full SNAP Payments
Volunteer Bruce Toben packs groceries durning an emergency food distribution at the at The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia's Mitzvah Food Program in Philadelphia, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Updated Nov. 11, 2025, 5:27 PM CST
The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended an order blocking full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments, keeping millions of low-income Americans in limbo as the government shutdown drags on. The move signals that the justices expect the shutdown to end soon, but it leaves food aid uneven across the country for at least a few more days.
In some states, SNAP recipients have received their full monthly benefits, while in others, payments have been halted entirely, according to the Associated Press. The Senate has already approved a measure to end the shutdown, and the House could vote as early as Wednesday. Reopening the government would restart the SNAP program for the 42 million Americans who depend on it, though it remains unclear how quickly full payments would resume once funding is restored.
The Court’s decision effectively avoids issuing a broader ruling on whether lower court orders requiring full payments during the shutdown were legally valid—choosing instead what observers described as a “path of least resistance” while lawmakers work toward a resolution.
Earlier, on Nov. 11, 2025, 12:13 AM CST:
President Trump’s administration asked the Supreme Court to keep full SNAP payments frozen during the shutdown, arguing that lower court orders forcing continued disbursements improperly interfered with congressional budget negotiations. Solicitor General D. John Sauer, representing the administration, called the funding lapse “tragic” but said courts should not dictate how the executive branch manages it.
The back-and-forth rulings have produced a patchwork of outcomes nationwide. Some states, including Hawaii and New Jersey, distributed full monthly benefits before Trump directed governors to pause those payments. Others, such as Nebraska and West Virginia, have not issued any benefits this month.
The Senate on Monday approved a compromise spending bill to reopen the government and replenish SNAP funds. The measure now heads to the House for consideration.
Meanwhile, families are feeling the strain. Brandi Johnson, 48, of St. Louis, said she has been rationing the $20 left in her SNAP account and skipping meals so her three teenage children can eat. She’s also caring for her infant granddaughter, who has food allergies, and her 80-year-old mother. “I’ve called every food pantry in the area,” she said. “Most are out of supplies or only serve certain ZIP codes.”
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin accused President Trump of fighting “for the right to starve Americans,” calling the administration’s legal push “the most heinous thing I’ve ever seen in public life.”
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