What to know about the state of SNAP food aid as a vote to end the shutdown approaches

Many Americans who rely on SNAP benefits for help with grocery shopping are approaching their third week without help after President Donald Trump’s administration cut the program due to the federal government shutdown.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday chose not to order the government to fully fund a program that serves about 1 in 8 Americans, steering clear of the legal debate over whether lower courts were right to make such an order — and keeping uncertainty about when millions of people would benefit from its benefits.

Read more: The Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether SNAP payments should resume in full

But the US House of Representatives could send Trump legislation on Wednesday to end the shutdown, a move that would also restore full SNAP funding for November.

Here are some things to know about how things could go.

When SNAP funds become available can vary by state

Swinging court rulings and letters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the National Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), have meant that recipients in some states have already received their full monthly benefits while in others they have received nothing. Some states have issued partial payments.

States say providing full benefits is faster than doing the calculations and computer programming required for partial amounts.

At least 19 states plus the District of Columbia issued full benefits to at least some recipients last week, an Associated Press report found. These include Minnesota and New Jersey. Many of them were able to do so in a day or so, in the narrow window between a Nov. 6 court ruling requiring the federal government to make the full payments, and a Nov. 7 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that halted it.

Carolyn Vega, a policy analyst at the advocacy group Share Our Strength, said she expects most SNAP participants who haven’t received anything yet in November — including in South Carolina and West Virginia — will get their benefits within about a week.

But there is a complication. So far, 16 states — including Illinois and Texas — have loaded EFT cards used in SNAP with partial benefits. Some of those states may face some technical hurdles to issuing the remaining amount, Vega said.

Delays in benefits can be a problem for recipients

Even if there is some clarity that benefits are on the way, exactly when they arrive will matter to millions of Americans.

He watches: How SNAP cuts affect local food banks

About 42 million low-income Americans receive SNAP benefits, on average about $190 per month per person. Many say the benefits don’t and aren’t meant to cover the full cost of groceries in a typical month, even with a careful budget.

It’s even worse when benefits are delayed.

Doretha Washington, 41, of St. Louis, and her husband have six children to feed and don’t have enough money to cover the cost. Her husband works in heating and cooling systems maintenance, but the family still needs SNAP to make ends meet. They received nothing in November, although Missouri said Tuesday that partial benefits would be issued.

“Now it’s making things difficult because we can’t pay our bills in full and keep food here,” Washington said this week. “I’ve been eating for three days trying to figure out what to do.”
They’ve been rationing what they have.

Other people have turned to food charities, but sometimes find long lines and low supplies.

Cutting funds has left state governments scrambling

The USDA told states on October 24 that it would not fund the program for November if the shutdown continued. This left countries scrambling. Most Democratic-led states have sued to restore funding.
Some Democratic and Republican-led states have launched efforts to pay for SNAP using state funds, bolstering food banks and deploying the National Guard to help distribute food. Another group of states used their money for SNAP benefits only after a judge ordered the Trump administration to cover the full cost for the month.

The government reopening legislation passed by the Senate on Monday calls for states to be reimbursed for spending their own money to run programs normally paid for by the federal government.
However, it is not immediately clear what situations might qualify for SNAP status.