Where SNAP benefits stand amid government shutdown negotiations
A volunteer displays information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at a grocery store in Dorchester, Massachusetts, United States, on Monday, November 3, 2025.
Mel Musto | Bloomberg | Getty Images
As the longest federal shutdown draws to a close, millions of Americans may see an end to the conflict that jeopardized November food aid.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program SNAP, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, helps low-income individuals and families receive monthly benefits on food purchases.
The federal government shutdown that began Oct. 1 led to delays or cuts in November SNAP benefits. A deal to end the shutdown that would include SNAP funding is working its way through Congress. The bill was passed by the Senate on Monday night and now awaits a House vote on Wednesday evening.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the pause on a federal judge’s order requiring the Trump administration to pay full SNAP benefits for November. The postponement is planned to last until Thursday. Meanwhile, Congress could reach a deal to end the shutdown and restore full SNAP benefits.
While the federal government is responsible for paying full benefits, the Trump administration has said funding to pay 100% is not available and supports paying 65% of SNAP benefits using emergency funds during the shutdown. Initially, the administration said it would pay 50% of social benefits.
The guidance changes daily, and in some cases even hourly, according to Poonam Gupta, a research fellow at the Urban Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C.
“From a beneficiary perspective, this is extremely confusing,” Gupta said, and it comes at a difficult time; The holiday season tends to increase food spending.
“The last 10 or 11 days have really highlighted how important SNAP is to the 42 million people across the country who participate in it and how critical it is to fighting hunger and helping families put food on the table,” Crystal FitzSimons, president of the Center for Food Research and Action, a nonprofit focused on fighting poverty-related hunger, said Tuesday. he said.
Experts say the interference with SNAP benefits during the government shutdown is unprecedented. Excluding the current pause, there have been 14 closures since 1980. Bipartisan Policy Center.
But this shutdown, which now holds the record for the longest period, is the first time SNAP benefits have been affected, according to experts.
In previous shutdowns, “administrations in both parties have been energetic and creative in avoiding cuts to benefits,” said David Super, a Georgetown University law professor.
The first Trump administration “really stepped back” to make sure there would be no SNAP cuts during the 35-day shutdown that stretched from late 2018 to early 2019, Super said. This is now the second longest shutdown in history.
When to expect November SNAP benefits?
As Congress moves toward finalizing a deal, it should also end the conflict around SNAP November payments, according to FitzSimons.
“We expect everyone to be able to enjoy all the benefits soon,” FitzSimons said. “It’s just going to take some states more time than others.”
FitzSimons said some states are either continuing to offer full benefits for November or have announced intentions to pay 100 percent of benefits, while other states are pursuing plans to pay 65 percent of benefits in accordance with the administration.
To help beneficiaries find out what’s happening with aid, the Food Research and Action Center launched a campaign. shutdown monitor keeps track of changes in each situation.
New ‘big, beautiful’ law changes that will cut social benefits
The “big beautiful” law that President Donald Trump passed earlier this year includes: Major changes to SNAP that will be phased in.
Adults up to age 65 will have a benefit period limit of three months every three years unless they can prove they meet certain work requirements of at least 80 hours per month. These requirements will now apply to veterans, the homeless, and former foster youth.
The new law also restricts SNAP eligibility for non-American citizens.
The “big, beautiful” law would also give states more responsibility for both administering SNAP and funding benefits. SNAP administrative costs will shift from 50-50 between federal and state to 25 percent federal and 75 percent state. Full federal funding of benefits will also be suspended; States’ share will depend on error rates or the accuracy of eligibility and benefit determinations.
“There are millions of people who will lose their benefits and people who will lose some of their benefits,” FitzSimons said.
Research The Urban Institute estimates that 22.3 million families could lose some or all of their SNAP benefits due to regulatory changes.
According to the report, 5.3 million of these families will lose at least $25 per month in SNAP benefits. On average, these families will lose $146 per month in SNAP funding.
Gupta said the “big, beautiful” changes to SNAP that took effect in July and subsequent restrictions on the program during the government shutdown turned the program into a “political tool.”
“At the end of the day, this is a program to help people get food for their families,” Gupta said.
