The US Department of Agriculture is moving ahead with partial SNAP payments for November, despite President Donald Trump’s threat to cut them off.
SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, provides monthly food benefits to about 42 million low-income Americans.
In a Wednesday court filing in Rhode Island, the USDA said it has complied with an earlier court order, issued on October 31, to “disburse the funds in its contingency fund” to support SNAP benefits.
The agency said that although the contingency fund “has never before been used to fund benefits in a lapse due to Congressional opposition to continuing appropriations,” it “took the steps necessary to use the fund” to help cover November SNAP benefits — marking the first time it’s been tapped during a funding lapse. The USDA added that the funds are generally “used in the event of a disaster, such as a hurricane, to provide critical relief.”
However, since the funds weren’t enough to cover full payments, the USDA said it told states to cut November benefits by half.
On Tuesday, the agency issued guidance to states regarding the reduced payment amounts for November. For a single person living in the 48 continental states and in D.C., their monthly amount will be reduced to a maximum of $149.
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In the filing, the USDA also said it decided against diverting billions from the Child Nutrition Programs to fund SNAP. “The result would be a substantial shortfall in funding school meals, among other things, that would likely not be filled by any future appropriation,” it said.
This court filing comes after Trump’s Truth Social post on Tuesday, in which he threatened to withhold SNAP benefits until the government reopens.
“SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous term in office. (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly ‘handed’ to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need, which is the purpose of SNAP!), will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before! ” the president wrote in a Truth Social post.
Last week, federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts ordered the Trump administration to continue funding SNAP during the government shutdown.
Representatives for USDA and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.
