That’s why the Trump administration has urged a federal appeals court to intervene. They seek to stay a court ruling requiring the full restoration of monthly food stamp benefits in November. This unusual legal maneuver comes amidst an ongoing U.S. federal government shutdown. SNAP, which supports over one-eighth of Americans, primarily those with low incomes, thanks to this shutdown, is facing an unprecedented level of uncertainty.
U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. previously ordered the administration to distribute payments through SNAP, a program crucial for many families across the country. At first, Trump’s administration proposed to draw on an emergency fund to pay for only half of the benefits. Yet, after much back-and-forth, they eventually reversed course and opted to only cover 65% of the needed annual payments.
In response to the legal ruling, two judges emphasized that the government must pay at least a portion of the benefits using available emergency funds. The court order issued Friday gave the administration until this past Friday to meet these payment obligations. Beneficiaries were scheduled to receive no benefits at all for the month of November, officials announced last month. This decision is a direct result of the still-oncoming government shutdown.
In the face of such uncertainty, many states, Wisconsin among them, have been scrambling to make sure that recipients do not lose out on their benefits. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ spokesperson Britt Cudaback was the bearer of this good tidings. In the impacted states, some SNAP recipients got their entire benefits for November early.
“We’ve received confirmation that payments went through, including members reporting they can now see their balances.” – Britt Cudaback, spokesperson for Wisconsin’s governor, Tony Evers.
With SNAP announcements and legal challenges changing by the week, SNAP beneficiaries remain in a state of limbo. Those who need these vital dollars have been living in fear for weeks. With the government shutdown affecting numerous programs, many families are left uncertain about their financial stability as they await clarity from federal authorities.
With the future of the pandemic still uncertain, the stakes for SNAP and its millions of recipients continue to be high. The Trump administration has made a significant and deeply needed appeal. This new development will have a huge importance on how we provide essential benefits while the shutdown continues. If successful, this legal challenge would have an extraordinarily positive impact on improving the timing of payments. It could impact the fundamental integrity of this pillar of American food assistance as it weathers this extraordinary episode.