Today's News: Administration Will Provide Only Partial Funding of SNAP Benefits Amid Government Shutdown
While the partial funding will cover about half of eligible households’ usual benefits, payments are expected to be delayed due to states needing to reprogram their systems.
Photo: Matt Rourke/AP
Overview
Date: November 3, 2025
Summary: The Trump administration announced it would provide only partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November, using $4.65 billion from the program’s contingency fund. This decision followed federal court orders, with judges requiring the administration to disburse funds for the anti-hunger program during an ongoing government shutdown. While the partial funding will cover about half of eligible households’ usual benefits, payments are expected to be delayed due to states needing to reprogram their systems. The administration declined to tap into other funds, such as those designated for child nutrition programs, to provide full benefits, citing legal and operational concerns. The move has drawn criticism from Democrats and anti-hunger advocates, who argue the administration has a moral and legal obligation to provide full, timely benefits.
Sources
The New York Times - Trump Administration to Send Only Partial Food Stamp Payments This Month
CNN - Trump administration will provide only half of usual food stamp benefits in November
The Washington Post - Trump administration says it is paying out half of November’s SNAP benefits
The Wall Street Journal - U.S. to Pay Partial SNAP Benefits for November During Shutdown
Associated Press - Trump administration says SNAP will be partially funded in November
Key Points
The Trump administration decided to provide only partial SNAP benefits for November, utilizing $4.65 billion from the program’s contingency fund.
This decision was made in response to federal court orders, specifically from U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island and another federal judge in Massachusetts, who directed the administration to release funds for the program.
The $4.65 billion in contingency funds is expected to cover approximately 50% of the usual monthly benefits for eligible households.
The administration stated it would not use Section 32 funds, typically allocated for child nutrition programs, to cover the remaining SNAP shortfall, citing concerns about creating a gap in child nutrition funding and legal distinctions.
Payments are anticipated to be delayed, potentially by weeks or months in some states, as state agencies need to reprogram their systems to adjust for the reduced allotments.
Approximately 42 million Americans rely on SNAP benefits, and the partial funding raises concerns about food insecurity for low-income families during the ongoing government shutdown.
Democrats and anti-hunger advocacy groups, including Democracy Forward, condemned the administration’s decision to provide only partial funding and are considering further legal actions to secure full benefits.
The government shutdown, which began on October 1, is the underlying cause of the funding crisis for SNAP.
Unique Highlights
The New York Times details that one judge, John J. McConnell Jr., explicitly ordered the Trump administration to restart SNAP payments immediately, offering the option of full payments by Monday or partial payments by Wednesday, while encouraging full funding using a second account (tariff revenues). The article also notes Patrick A. Penn’s sworn declaration stating that using tariff revenues for SNAP would “stray from congressional intent” and highlights that SNAP is a government function Mr. Trump and Republican allies have long aimed to cut and restrict.
NBC News mentions that the shutdown was “just days away from becoming the longest in U.S. history” and describes visible impacts such as long lines at food banks and stadium parking lots converted into mass distribution sites in Texas and California. It also points out that Judge McConnell cited a 2019 Q&A email written by a SNAP administrator in his order, indicating the contingency funds are available during a shutdown.
CNN specifies the allocation of the $4.65 billion contingency fund: $4.65 billion for benefits and $600 million for state administrative expenses and nutrition assistance for Puerto Rico and American Samoa. It also provides the average monthly SNAP benefit as just over $350 per household, as of May data, and notes that the USDA sent a letter to states on October 10 ordering them to stop issuing benefits. The article includes President Trump’s statement on Truth Social, where he instructed lawyers to seek court guidance on legally funding benefits and expressed willingness to provide funding if given appropriate legal direction.
The Washington Post states that SNAP regularly costs the federal government about $9 billion a month. It also quotes Democratic Senators Ben Ray Luján and Amy Klobuchar, and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, who called for full funding, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune is quoted blaming Democrats for the funding impasse.
The Wall Street Journal provides personal accounts from SNAP recipients, including Alexis Moore, a 20-year-old preschool teacher, and Sylvia Phelan, a 42-year-old disabled stay-at-home mom, detailing the financial stress and anxiety caused by the delayed and reduced benefits. It also notes the impact on retailers and manufacturers who rely on SNAP spending.
Associated Press cites Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s statement criticizing the administration for not fully funding SNAP. It includes personal stories from Corina Betancourt of Glendale, Arizona, and Jamal Brown of Camden, New Jersey, who are concerned about feeding their families. The article mentions the average monthly benefit is usually about $190 per person and reports that New Mexico and Rhode Island officials said some SNAP beneficiaries received funds over the weekend from their emergency programs, while Delaware recipients would not see benefits until at least November 7. It also provides the 2025 income qualification for SNAP, which is about $32,000 per year for a family of four.
Contrasting Details
The New York Times implies that the Trump administration had a broader “full stable of available funds — totaling into the billions of dollars” that could have been used to sustain the program, and specifically notes the administration had tapped tariff revenues (Section 32 funds) repeatedly to sustain another federal nutrition program during the shutdown. This contrasts with the administration’s claim in its court filings, reported by NBC News, CNN, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, that Section 32 funds “must remain available to protect full operation of Child Nutrition Programs” and are not legally or operationally a contingency fund for SNAP, and that using them would create an “unprecedented gap.”
While all articles agree on the partial funding, The New York Times emphasizes that the administration “opted against using its full stable of available funds,” suggesting a deliberate choice despite available resources, whereas other articles, like NBC News and CNN, focus more on the specific legal and operational arguments presented by the administration for not using Section 32 funds for full SNAP benefits.
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