In accordance with the rulings of two federal judges on Friday, Oct. 31, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service will issue partial SNAP benefits for the month of November. The 35-day government shutdown was expected to force a delay SNAP benefit payments and impose politically induced hardships on individuals and families as they approach Thanksgiving and the holiday season.
The suspension which was to go into effect on November 1, will not be enforced as previously announced in an Oct. 28 online directive from the USDA, which stated: “Bottom line, the well has run dry … At this time, there will be no benefits issued on November 1. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats.”
The Trump administration maintained that it would not tap into its nearly $5 billion contingency fund to provide benefits to families receiving SNAP, but the court’s ruling to orders the administration to tap into funds to continue funding the program through November. The administration previously said it had no plans to dive into the billions of dollars in contingency funds before the rulings.
The rulings gave the Trump administration until Monday afternoon to decide whether to partially or fully fund SNAP benefits for November. A filing from Monday says that USDA will “fully comply” with the judges’ rulings and create a table “to calculate the benefits available for each eligible household in that State.”
The USDA was essentially given two options: tap into the Section 32 Child Nutrition Program to fully fund SNAP benefits for November, or drain the $4.65 billion in contingency funds to partially fund SNAP for the month. The administration went with the latter.
Nearly 1.6 million Georgians rely on SNAP food benefits and the program supports about 42 million low income people throughout the country each month by assisting them with payments for food. That assistance has already seen negative impacts by rising food costs. Adding to the negative impact of delayed payments and rising food costs, changes which have taken effect recently under Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill reduces and in some cases eliminates payments altogether.
The new rules decrease the number of Americans who qualify for SNAP by expanding the work exemption from 59 to 65 years old, and the childcare exemption now only applies to parents or guardians of children under 14 when it was previously 18.
People experiencing homelessness and veterans are no longer exempt form the work requirement.
“Many people in America are a single missed paycheck away from needing support from their local food banks,” Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, said when the shutdown started on Oct. 1. “A prolonged shutdown will deepen the strain, and more families will seek help at a time when food banks are already stretched due to sustained high need.”
The government shutdown now entering its fourth week will cause November payments to be delayed. That delay will increase hardships on individuals and families as they approach Thanksgiving and the holiday season.
Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents can only receive SNAP benefits for 3 months every 3 years unless they meet work criteria. , but pregnant individuals and those unable to work due to a physical or mental condition remain exempt.
It’s important to check your state’s payment schedule to see when your SNAP benefits will arrive this month. If you’re an ABAWD, be aware of the new eligibility rules that could impact how long you can receive assistance.
Check your state’s expected SNAP distribution dates for more details.
Gubernatorial candidate and former Atlanta Mayor issued the following statement:
Trump Administration, State Leaders Must Take Action to Stop SNAP Cuts for 1.3M Georgians
23 AGs Sue Trump Administration to Make SNAP Funds Available; Georgia Does Not Take Action
Today, 23 attorneys general from around the country filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration to compel the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use its $5.5 billion contingency fund to pay for SNAP benefits that are due to run out on Friday. The Trump administration previously used the contingency fund for this purpose during the 2018-2019 shutdown, but is currently refusing to do so.
Keisha Lance Bottoms, candidate for governor and former Mayor of Atlanta, issued the following statement in response to states’ action on SNAP:
“There is no reason 1.3 million Georgians, including children and seniors, should go without food, but Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington would rather let them go hungry than do what is right.
“I applaud the 23 attorneys general who took action today in support of providing these critical SNAP funds to states, and I am disappointed that Georgia did not join this lawsuit. Georgia’s Republican leaders should join Democrats who have called for immediate action to tap into our budget surplus to feed Georgians in need.
“One out of every eight Georgians depend on SNAP benefits. It’s time for the Trump administration and state leaders to act to ensure SNAP benefits do not run out for Georgia families on Friday.”
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