The states of New York and New Jersey have begun distributing the November SNAP (food stamp) benefits. However, the Trump administration has abruptly ordered states to withdraw the payments after the Supreme Court suspended the effect of a lower court ruling ordering the USDA to pay the full SNAP program budget, causing chaos.
New York Governor Kathy Hokul announced on the 9th that SNAP benefits would begin to be distributed to New York recipients. The New Jersey state government also announced on the 7th that it had distributed the November benefits to SNAP recipients.
Accordingly, the November benefits have started being deposited into the debit cards (EBT) used to purchase groceries for SNAP program recipients in New York and New Jersey. However, late on the night of the 8th, the Trump administration abruptly applied the brakes, instructing each state that had begun distributing SNAP benefits, including New York and New Jersey, to “immediately reverse all actions taken to fully distribute SNAP benefits.” This created a situation where the state’s payment measures and the federal government’s suspension order conflicted.
On the 6th, the Rhode Island District Court ruled that the Trump administration must “disburse the full amount of SNAP benefits for November on the 7th,” and several states began taking administrative steps to deposit SNAP benefits into recipients’ debit cards starting on the 7th.However, the Trump administration appealed the initial trial’s decision to pay the full amount and filed an emergency appeal on the 7th. Late that night, the Supreme Court temporarily stayed the effect of the initial trial order until the appeals court decided.
Consequently, the Supreme Court’s decision temporarily allowed the Trump administration to withhold funds to the SNAP program while the lawsuit proceeds. Later that night, the USDA warned that “states that have paid the full amount of SNAP benefits for November are unauthorized and must be immediately revoked,” and that “states that do not comply will be subject to penalties.” However, the USDA’s guidance does not provide specific explanations on how to recover funds already paid to recipients, which has caused confusion.
The Massachusetts and Wisconsin governments are protesting the withdrawal directive, calling it “an attempt by the Trump administration to cut off food assistance that low-income families rely on.” Wisconsin has publicly declared that it will not follow the Trump administration’s new directive.
While the SNAP program is administered by states, benefits are paid for with federal funds. The key question is how the courts will rule on the conflict between states and the federal government over SNAP payments.