A federal judge told the Trump administration on Friday to continue funding for food stamps during the government shutdown, a legal victory for local officials and nonprofits that sought to spare roughly 42 million Americans from losing the benefits in a matter of days.
But it is unclear if or when food stamps will soon reach those who rely on them to purchase groceries. Here’s what we know about the status of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
What are SNAP benefits?
The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is how the federal government helps people buy food if they cannot afford it. About 42 million Americans, living in 22 million households, use SNAP — representing roughly one in eight people in the United States. The benefits average around $187 a month and cost the federal government about $8 billion monthly.
How does the shutdown affect SNAP?
Lawmakers must regularly approve money for the program through their normal budget process, which is currently paralyzed by a legislative impasse in Congress. Though the government shut down at the beginning of October, SNAP benefits were not expected to run out of funds until the beginning of November.
What can the government do to fund SNAP?
SNAP maintains a sizable reserve as a kind of rainy-day fund to cover any emergencies or shortfalls.
Many congressional Democrats and Republicans had encouraged the Trump administration to use this funding to preserve food stamps into November, with the government expected to remain closed.
But the Trump administration declined to dip into those funds, even though the Agriculture Department had said previously that it could reprogram money to prevent benefit cuts. Administration officials have maintained that they could do little to rescue SNAP, despite the fact that they had moved around billions of dollars to sustain other functions of government while federal funding had lapsed.
More than two dozen states sued the Trump administration in an effort to unlock those funds before benefits ran out.
What have the courts said?
Two federal judges ruled on Friday that the Trump administration had acted unlawfully in trying to hold back SNAP’s emergency funds. The twin court defeats amounted to a major rebuke of the White House.
President Trump said late Friday that the administration would provide the funding for food stamps, but only once a federal court could clarify “how we can legally” supply the money.
It remains to be seen if the Trump administration will move swiftly to obey the ruling. Lawyers for the administration had previously suggested it could take weeks to disburse the benefits during the shutdown. In a late Friday filing, the Justice Department asked a federal court to clarify the order from the judge, but it was unclear if there were further plans to appeal the rulings.
Also unclear was the exact amounts food stamp recipients would receive in November. The emergency funds alone are only enough to provide partial benefits, according to federal officials, raising the odds of another financial cliff for millions of low-income Americans unless Congress can quickly devise an end to the current stalemate.
How much do people get to spend?
The amount is adjusted each year, according to federal guidelines. In 2025, the maximum monthly benefit for one person is $292. For a household of four, it’s $975.
The amount also depends on which state recipients live in, and on factors like whether anyone in the household has a steady income or is a dependent.
How do people use SNAP?
The system is fully electronic, eliminating the paper food stamps that used to be presented at checkout. Each month, a dollar amount is loaded onto a card, which is used like a debit or credit card.
What can SNAP be used for?
Almost any food sold at a grocery store, including soda, chips, candy and snacks. (Some states have enacted rules that prevent SNAP money from being spent on soda and candy.) It can’t be used, however, for hot or cooked food, or for anything other than food.
Where can SNAP be used?
At most retailers, farmers’ markets and pharmacies that sell food, like Walgreens and CVS. SNAP cards can also be used to order from online markets like Walmart and Amazon.
Do recipients have to be U.S. citizens?
In most cases, yes. But people who are refugees, have been granted asylum, are from Cuba or Haiti, or belong to certain other groups are eligible if they meet income requirements. Green-card holders and permanent residents must wait five years to receive benefits.
Julia Moskin and Tony Romm contributed.
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Chris Cameron is a Times reporter covering Washington, focusing on breaking news and the Trump administration.
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