Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP benefit recipients are facing fresh confusion after the U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered states to "immediately undo" steps they took to send out full food assistance benefits, following a string of competing court orders tied to the federal shutdown.
Conflicting Court Orders Leave States Scrambling Over SNAP
States were first told to issue partial SNAP benefits, then slightly larger payments and finally full benefits. On Friday night, the Supreme Court granted the Trump administration's request to temporarily halt that full-payment mandate, hours after several states had already loaded full benefits onto electronic benefit transfer cards.
Several states say those Friday deposits will stay in place.
States Split Between Full, Partial Or Paused Aid
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said to Nexstar's KDVR that nearly 32,000 residents received full benefits before the court's order and will keep them, while thousands of others will receive partial benefits cut by roughly 35%. Illinois is also distributing partial benefits.
Oregon and Washington said full Friday benefits will not be clawed back and Hawaii health officials said they have not seen "widespread issues" with declined transactions.
New Jersey officials said they are "monitoring developments" and urged residents to check their EBT balances. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) said benefits already loaded onto cards can be used and warned that if former President Donald Trump tries to reclaim the money, "we will see him in court."
In Michigan, officials said remaining November payments are paused, while California's social services department warned that some benefits could be "further delayed" after the ruling. Some New Yorkers began receiving November SNAP benefits on Sunday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) has proposed a 50% supplemental payment, expected to start Tuesday. Ohio and South Dakota have both delayed benefits, with South Dakota reversing plans to pay them in full on Monday, as per a local news report.
Recipients unsure about their status should use their state's online SNAP portal or contact local offices to confirm whether funds are available before going to the grocery store, especially as food costs have climbed sharply in recent years.
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