The government just cut food aid in half for 41 million Americans – Fast Company

23 hours agoLast Updated: November 4, 2025

3 9 minutes read

The government just cut food aid in half for 41 million Americans – Fast Company

By Grace Snelling | Published: 2025-11-03 20:15:00 | Source: Fast Company – news

Over the past few days, millions of low-income Americans who use SNAP, the nation’s largest food assistance program, have been wondering how they will pay for basic necessities this month amid the ongoing government shutdown. Today, they have an update: In a court filing filed on November 3, the Trump administration said it would pay only 50% of regular benefits to beneficiaries this month.

Last year, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program helped 41 million people (or about 1 in 8 Americans) buy groceries, and nearly two-thirds of them were families with children. To qualify for SNAP in 2025, a family of four cannot have net income above the federal poverty line of about $31,000 per year. Typically, the debit cards that SNAP recipients use to buy food at participating stores each month are charged by the federal government. But amid the ongoing government shutdown, the USDA planned to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on November 1, citing a funding shortfall.

However, just one day before the freeze, federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled that the government must extend the funding, allowing the Trump administration some leeway on whether to provide full or partial funding in November. Now, the Trump administration says it will use money from the Agriculture Department’s emergency fund to make partial payments for November — though the exact timeline for distributing the money remains uncertain. Here’s what you should know.

Why were SNAP benefits about to freeze?

This new announcement comes in the wake of ongoing debate over whether the federal government has a legal obligation to continue providing SNAP funding despite the government shutdown, which has been in effect since October 1.

For one thing, the Trump administration said it was not allowed to use a USDA emergency fund of about $5 billion for the program — reversing a USDA plan before the shutdown that said the money would be tapped to keep SNAP running. On the other hand, Democratic attorneys general or governors from 25 states have said money from the emergency fund can — and should — be used. Controversy over a legal outcome On October 28, the USDA could also tap another dedicated fund worth about $23 billion for the issue.

Ultimately, two federal courts ruled in favor of using emergency funding for SNAP. In Providence, Rhode Island, US District Judge John J. McConnell ruled that the government must use emergency reserves to fill SNAP benefits, requiring an update from the administration by November 3.

“There is no doubt, and there is no debate, that irreparable damage will begin to be done – if it has not already been done – in the terror it has caused some people about having the finances to put food on the table for their families.” McConnell said During the hearing, according to ABC News.

In the Boston case, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani called the suspension of SNAP “unlawful” and similarly called for the use of emergency funds for the program.

What happens now?

In response to these rulings, the Trump administration responded He said in his personal file It plans to use its $5 billion emergency fund to pay “50% of current allotments to eligible households.” Adding that spending means “No funds will remain for new SNAP applicants approved in November, for disaster assistance, or as a means of mitigating the potentially catastrophic consequences of closing SNAP entirely.” The administration chose not to tap additional funds identified by Democrats to pay the monthly benefits in full. Typically, the US Department of Agriculture spends $8 billion a month on the program.

So far, it’s unclear when SNAP recipients will be able to access the funding. in Interview with CNN “There’s a process that has to be followed,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday of the distribution. “So, we have to understand what that process is. President Trump wants to make sure people get their nutritional benefits.”

Meanwhile, local food banks, shelters and state governments were scrambling to prepare for the influx of hungry people. States including Louisiana, New Mexico, Vermont, New York and Nevada have moved to provide emergency funding to residents in need, while smaller organizations like food pantries are working overtime to prepare.

“When we take away SNAP, the consequences will be catastrophic,” Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of the national food bank network Feeding America, told The Associated Press last week. “I suppose people assume that someone will stop it before it gets too bad. Well, it’s already pretty bad. And it’s getting worse.”

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(tags for translation) Food Banks

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