A volunteer reaches for a box of tomatoes during a food distribution at the San Antonio Food Bank for SNAP recipients and other households affected by the federal shutdown, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
A sign for a food pantry for federal workers is seen as TSA agents check identification at a security checkpoint at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in SeaTac, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
SNAP EBT information sign is displayed at a gas station in Riverwoods, Ill., Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, file)
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**Federal Court Orders Full SNAP Payments Amid Shutdown; States Move to Distribute Benefits**
BOSTON — President Donald Trump’s administration asked a federal appeals court Friday to block a judge’s order requiring it to distribute November’s full monthly SNAP benefits in the midst of a U.S. government shutdown, even as some states reported that payments were already reaching recipients.
U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. had given the administration until Friday to make the full payments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. However, Trump’s administration petitioned the appeals court to suspend any orders that require spending more money than is available in the contingency fund.
Despite the legal battle, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ spokesperson Britt Cudaback said Friday that some SNAP recipients in the state had already received their full November payments overnight on Thursday.
> “We’ve received confirmation that payments went through, including members reporting they can now see their balances,” Cudaback said.
The ongoing court wrangling has prolonged weeks of uncertainty for the SNAP program, which serves about 1 in 8 Americans, most of whom are lower-income.
Thursday’s federal court order came in response to a lawsuit filed by cities and nonprofits challenging the Trump administration’s decision to cover only 65% of the maximum monthly benefit—a move that could have left some recipients with nothing for the month.
Judge McConnell was one of two federal judges who last week ruled that the administration could not skip November’s SNAP benefits entirely because of the shutdown. Both judges ordered the government to utilize one emergency reserve fund, containing more than $4.6 billion, to cover SNAP for November. They also gave the administration leeway to use other available funds to make the full payments, which cost between $8.5 billion and $9 billion each month.
Earlier this week, the administration said it would not use additional money, arguing that it was Congress’s responsibility to appropriate funds for the program, and that the other money was needed to support other child hunger initiatives.
In its court filing Friday, the Trump administration contended that Thursday’s directive to fund full SNAP benefits violates the U.S. Constitution.
> “This unprecedented injunction makes a mockery of the separation of powers. Courts hold neither the power to appropriate nor the power to spend,” the U.S. Department of Justice wrote.
Meanwhile, several states said they stood ready to distribute the money as quickly as possible. In Michigan, the Department of Health and Human Services said it had instructed its SNAP electronic benefit card vendor to issue full benefits shortly after federal funding is received.
Recipients in Michigan who usually receive benefits on the third, fifth, or seventh of the month should see their full SNAP allotment within 48 hours of the funds becoming available, officials said. Others will receive their full benefits on their regularly scheduled dates.
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https://www.phillytrib.com/news/trump-administration-seeks-to-halt-snap-food-aid-payments-after-a-court-order/article_a66564c9-4aa1-467b-943f-8c99491100e8.html
