USDA Announces Full SNAP Benefits to Resume

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) informed states on Friday that full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will be issued in November. This decision follows a federal judge’s ruling against the Trump administration’s plan to distribute only partial benefits.

In a letter to regional SNAP directors, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service stated, “FNS is working to implement full benefit issuance in November 2025 in accordance with the Rhode Island District Court’s November 6, 2025 order.” They also mentioned that later in the day, the necessary steps would be taken to make funds available for the complete benefit submissions to the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) processor.

The agency expressed its commitment to keeping stakeholders updated, saying, “We will keep you as informed as possible about future developments and appreciate our continued partnership in serving program beneficiaries across the country.” States were encouraged to reach out to their FNS regional offices with any queries.

Currently, around 42 million individuals in the U.S., including 28 million children, depend on monthly SNAP benefits.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell ordered the administration to utilize a $5 billion emergency fund to fully pay out SNAP benefits. This is notable as he had previously directed the White House to maintain SNAP benefits amidst an ongoing government shutdown.

Furthermore, the Trump administration has sought to appeal McConnell’s order through the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Justice Department remarked in a Friday motion, “This is certainly a crisis, but it is a crisis caused by Congressional failures and can only be resolved by Congressional action.”

Vice President J.D. Vance also expressed discontent over McConnell’s ruling, labeling it as “unreasonable.” He stated, “What we want to do, of course, is to get Democrats to open up government so we can fund SNAP and do a lot of other good things for the American people. But in the midst of a government shutdown, federal courts cannot dictate to the president how he must triage the situation.”