Over 40 million Americans to receive only partial food stamp benefits this month as US govt shutdown drags on

The Donald Trump administration, on Monday, declared it would provide partial relief to recipients as the US government shutdown drags on. The Department of Agriculture said it would use contingency funds to allow states to issue partial benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for the month of November.

In a declaration submitted to the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island, Patrick Penn, a Department of Agriculture official who oversees SNAP, said the administration “intends to deplete SNAP contingency funds completely and provide reduced SNAP benefits for November 2025,” reported CBS News.

What amount will Americans get?

As per reports, funding for the SNAP officially ran out on Saturday as a result of the US government shutdown – which is now in its 34th day – reportedly showing no signs of ending as Republicans continued their standoff with the Democrats.

Officials from the Agriculture Department – which oversees the program — told a federal court in Rhode Island that they would not cover the shortfall with other funding sources. This means that only “50%” of the usual benefits would be disbursed to households eligible under SNAP, mentioned a report by AFP.

According to AP, the average monthly benefit is usually about $190 per person.

How many people are under SNAP?

According to a report by The Guardian, nearly 42 million people are on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

When would the aid be distributed?

The administration said it would provide details to states on Monday on calculating the per-household partial benefit.

Loading SNAP cards is a multi-step process – which involves steps by state and federal government agencies and vendors, and can take up to two weeks in some states.

However, in a court filing, the USDA warned that it could take weeks or even months for states to make all the system changes to send out reduced benefits, reported AP.

Rhode Island officials said Monday that SNAP recipients who also receive benefits from another federal program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, received payments Saturday equal to one-fourth of what they typically get from SNAP.

Long queues, state of emergency declared

According to The Guardian, long queues have been seen at food banks across the nation. In California and Texas, stadium car parks were converted into distribution sites amid uncertainty over SNAP's continuation.

Some states, including New York, Oregon and Virginia, even declared states of emergency last week to provide funds that would keep benefits available. But the amounts provided were expected to amount to a fraction of normal federal government funding.