A federal judge has blocked the Trump Administration from halting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) benefits during the government shutdown, just a day before it was slated to cut off food stamp benefits for 42 million Americans.
The decision, from U.S. District Court Judge Jack McConnell, came shortly after U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani issued a separate ruling similarly finding that suspending the program was “unlawful” and directing the Administration to explain how they would continue funding it.
Following the decisions, the Administration will be required to send out at least some of the benefits that were set to be paid on Saturday, though when beneficiaries will see the funds—and how much will be paid—remains in question. Here’s what you should know.
What did the judges rule?
The Justice Department argued that there were no remaining congressionally appropriated funds for SNAP as a result of the shutdown, and that it was the Administration’s decision whether to take money from a $6 billion contingency fund to continue funding the program.
But McConnell, who serves on the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, ordered the Administration to dip into that fund “timely or as soon as possible” to deliver at least some of the SNAP benefits scheduled to be paid on Nov. 1.
Talwani, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, issued a similar decision in a separate case over the approaching suspension moments earlier, ruling that the Administration was required to use contingency funds to pay partial SNAP benefits.
Talwani gave the Administration until Monday to provide an explanation of how it will provide SNAP benefits for November: partially, with the contingency funds, or fully, with both those funds and money from other sources.
“Congress has put money in an emergency fund,” Talwani said during a hearing on Thursday. “It’s hard for me to understand how this isn’t an emergency, when there’s no money and a lot of people are needing their SNAP benefits.”
Will benefits still be delayed?
Though both judges ruled that the Trump Administration must pay next month’s SNAP benefits at least in part, it is unclear when the millions who are relying on the benefits will receive their payments, if they ultimately do.
The Administration previously indicated that it could take weeks to provide November payments to millions of Americans, and that those payments could be half the size of normal allocations. Reloading the debit cards used by beneficiaries of the program can often take one to two weeks, according to The Associated Press.
Benefits could also potentially be further delayed if the Justice Department appeals the rulings, which it is likely to do, though it has not filed any appeals yet.
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