White House says partial SNAP benefits will go forward
The White House is cooperating with a court order and says partial SNAP benefits will go forward despite the government shutdown.
- The USDA agreed to send partial November SNAP benefits as directed to by court rulings on Nov. 4 but will cut in half the maximum amount SNAP households can get.
- Tens of thousands of Massachusetts residents who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) won’t receive benefits in November, according to the Massachusetts DTA.
- DTA estimates that it will take approximately 1 week from Nov. 4 for the November SNAP benefits to hit recipients’ cards.
Tens of thousands of Massachusetts residents who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) won’t receive or will recieve partial benefits in November, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Services, the agency that runs SNAP in the state.
The United States Department of Agriculture agreed to send partial November SNAP benefits after being directed to by court rulings, but said on Nov. 4 they will cut the maximum amount SNAP households can get in half .
The amount of SNAP households receive depends on factors like household members, income and expenses, according to the DTA. They said that the USDA’s decision will greatly reduce the amount of SNAP benefits that people will get, especially among households with income, and will even bring “tens of thousands of SNAP clients benefits to zero.”
Those who will still receive benefits won’t get them immediately: the DTA estimates that it will take approximately 1 week from Nov. 4 for the November SNAP benefits to hit recipients’ cards.
The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, which helps to send the benefits to recipients, said it is “working as quickly as possible to ensure clients receive their benefits promptly.”
In Massachusetts, over one million residents receive SNAP benefits. Nearly 60% are either children under 17 or seniors.
Did SNAP, food stamps go out for November?
Not at first. In October, the USDA said that they would not be sending out SNAP benefits in November due to the ongoing government shutdown despite earlier guidance that said it could use contingency funds to pay for the benefits.
“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA said on its website. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats.”
On Oct. 28, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell co-led a coalition of 22 other attorneys general and three governors in suing the Trump administration over the funding lapse, saying that they can use contingency funds to pay for the program.
A few days later, two federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ordered the government to use the contingency funds to continue SNAP. However, recipients still haven’t received benefits.
Trump announces 50% payments for SNAP recipients
On Nov. 3, the Trump administration said that it would comply with court orders and send partial payments for the month of November to the roughly 42 million Americans currently receiving SNAP benefits.
The administration said it would “fulfill its obligation to expend” funds during an emergency, using a reserve to cover “50% of eligible households’ current allotments.”
When will Massachusetts residents get their November SNAP benefits?
The Massachusetts DTA said that they expect to be able to issue partial SNAP benefits sometime during the week of Nov. 10.
They also expect that November SNAP benefits will ultimately be paid in full, but “do not know when.”
Can I use last month’s money on my EBT card?
Yes. If you have funds left over from October, you can still use your EBT card.
You can check your EBT balances before heading to the store by visiting ebtedge.com or calling 1-888-979-9939.
Where to get food
Those who typically rely on SNAP benefits can use food banks and other subsidized meal programs amid the funding lapse.
The Massachusetts DTA suggests visiting the Project Bread website or the website of a food bank in your area. Those include the Greater Boston Food Bank, the Worcester County Food Bank, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and the Merrimack Valley Food Bank.
