SNAP Food Aid Reaches Some States, Others Still Wait Amid Ongoing Legal Battle

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Millions of Americans dependent on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, are still uncertain about receiving their November benefits. The situation has been exacerbated by a protracted legal battle over the federal government shutdown. In a surprising turn of events, some states began issuing full monthly SN benefits to people on Friday, following a federal judge's order. However, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily paused this order, allowing time for an appeals court to decide whether to issue a more lasting halt. Despite the uncertainty, hundreds of thousands of recipients in states like Hawaii, Oregon, and Wisconsin have already received their full November benefits. In these states, officials worked quickly to process the full payments, ensuring that families relying on SN could buy groceries over the weekend. Other states, including California, Kansas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington, have also confirmed that some SN recipients received their full November payments on Friday. However, millions more Americans are still waiting, with their benefits status hanging in the balance. The delay in payments has led to a surge in demand at food banks and pantries across the country, with some states providing emergency funding to help them respond to the increased need. The Trump administration initially said it would not fund SN benefits for November due to the government shutdown, but a judge later ruled that it could use an emergency reserve fund to provide partial benefits. The situation has left many state officials waiting for further guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers SN. As the legal battle continues, it remains unclear when or if people in some states will receive their benefits on their electronic benefits transfer cards. The Trump administration has argued that there is no mechanism for recovering funds already distributed, while state officials are urging the administration to drop its appeal and allow the benefits to be distributed. Whatever the outcome, the uncertainty surrounding SN benefits has created chaos among states and left millions of Americans uncertain about their food security.