The Trump Administration has ordered US states that began issuing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November to immediately 'undo' the steps taken to issue full payouts.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated in a Saturday guidance that the November payments were unauthorised, and non-compliance could lead to financial penalties, including the cancellation of the federal share of state administrative costs and holding states accountable for any overissuances.
According to the Associated Press, over half a dozen states confirmed that some SNAP recipients already received full November payments on Friday.
The USDA's memo came after the US Supreme Court on Friday allowed the administration to continue withholding over $4 billion to fully fund November SNAP benefits.
USDA Guidance and State Responses
'States must not transmit full benefit issuance files to EBT processors. They must continue to process and load the partial issuance files that reflect a 35% reduction of maximum allotments,' the memo stated. This means states can only deliver about 65% of SNAP benefits and must recoup any amounts paid above this threshold.
Failure to comply could result in the cancellation of federal funding for state administrative costs and make states responsible for any overissuances. The guidance underscores that the initial full payments were not authorised under current policies.
The Supreme Court's decision effectively puts a stay on a Rhode Island federal judge's order to immediately disburse full SNAP benefits for millions of Americans.
Legal and Political Background
President Donald Trump had hinted at blocking SNAP payments days before the USDA guidance. In a Truth Social post last week, he suggested that benefits might not be paid during the shutdown, adding they would resume once Democrats agreed to pass a funding bill.
'SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden's disastrous term in office... will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!' he wrote.
Criticism and Legal Challenges
Senator Amy Klobuchar criticised the decision, posting on X: 'The cruelty is the point. It is their choice to do this.'
Meanwhile, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey stated that if 'President Trump wants to penalise states for preventing Americans from going hungry, we will see him in court.'
Several states expressed frustration over the lack of clear guidance. In a Saturday filing to a Massachusetts judge, multiple states highlighted the absence of a centralised plan to manage these unprecedented circumstances and address the chaos caused by the USDA's actions.
'[Officials have] not sent any centralized or coherent guidance regarding how to navigate these unprecedented circumstances and what steps USDA will take to resolve the chaos created by its actions,' they stated in the filing.
Impact on Americans
Nearly 42 million Americans rely on SNAP benefits, which are vital for those with little or no income or assets. On average, a family of four receives about $715 (£543) per month — less than $6 (£4.5) per day per person. The programme costs nearly $9 billion (£6.8 billion) each month.
SNAP has historically helped lift more than 6.6 million people out of poverty before the pandemic. The recent disruptions threaten to undermine this progress during a critical period.
As the government shutdown persists, the dispute over SNAP benefits highlights ongoing political tensions surrounding social welfare and fiscal policy. The USDA's directive to claw back full November payments underscores the fragile state of the programme amid legal and political battles.
