Payam Javan: Some Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants began receiving partial or full benefits for November after weeks of uncertainty caused by the ongoing federal shutdown. States including North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Wisconsin reported that benefits have been loaded onto EBT cards for some or all recipients. However, several other states said they were still awaiting federal funds to issue payments, while New Jersey officials stated they were ready to distribute benefits immediately once federal funding is released.

The disruption stems from a political and legal standoff in Washington. The Trump administration, citing the government shutdown that began October 1, had moved to suspend SNAP funding for November, saying it lacked authorization to draw from contingency reserves or tariff revenues. On October 31, a federal judge ruled that the administration must use those contingency funds to at least partially cover November benefits, ordering the funds to be distributed by November 6.

Despite the ruling, administration officials admitted this week that technical and procedural hurdles could delay payments for weeks or even months. On Thursday, the same judge declared that his previous order had not been fully followed, mandating that the federal government pay for the entire month’s benefits—an amount estimated between $8.5 and $9 billion. The Justice Department quickly filed an emergency motion asking an appeals court to pause that order, warning that such a move would unlawfully compel USDA to spend beyond its appropriations.