November SNAP benefits will reportedly be 65 percent of their usual rate, rather than the 50 percent previously estimated by the Trump administration, according to a Department of Agriculture official.
On Monday, the Trump administration told a federal judge that it would reportedly use more $4 billion from its contingency funds to provide SNAP recipients about half of what they typically would receive. However, as of Wednesday, that figure was revised to 65 percent in a filing by the Agriculture Department's deputy undersecretay for food, nutrition and consumer services Patrick Penn.
Based on the new figure, a family of four in the contiguous U.S. will receive approximately $646 for the month, NBC News reports.
No explanation was given as to why the numbers suddenly changed.
While those payments will be higher than initially expected, they're going to take time to get to recipients, according to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
In a social media post on Monday she warned that it will take "several weeks to execute partial payments."
SNAP is one of the numerous programs impacted by the ongoing government shutdown, which has entered its 36th day, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
While the federal government is only paying out partial SNAP benefits, numerous states have put plans into place to help fill the remaining need until the government reopens.
Despite making $4 billion available, the actual amount of funding going to pay for SNAP allotments may be less, according to a Center on Buget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) analysis published on Wednesday.
CBPP found that the amount of contingency fund money being paid out will actually be closer to about $3 billion, which is about two-thirds of the $4.65 billion the Trump administration said it would make available.
The CBPP also determined that nearly 1.2 million SNAP households and approximately 4.9 million people will not receive any benefits because their normal benefit amount is less than the planned benefit reduction. Nearly 5.4 million households with one or two members will receive a minimum benefit of $12 for November, according to the analysis.
The Independent has requested comment from the Trump administration.
