The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday it will partially fund this month’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, after courts ruled the White House must preserve the hunger program during a government shutdown if possible.

SNAP funding froze Saturday, Nov. 1, one month into the shutdown. The program, also known as food stamps or EBT, provides grocery assistance to 42 million Americans each month, more than a third of whom are children.

In the past — including during President Donald Trump’s first term — the White House has communicated emergency funding can be used to cover SNAP in the event of a shutdown. But earlier this month, the USDA claimed the opposite. Under court order, the Trump administration opted to pay out about half of November’s SNAP benefits using USDA contingency funds. (It declined an option to pay for a full month.) 

• Read our roundup of FAQs about SNAP and hunger prevention during the ongoing shutdown here.

Exactly when SNAP recipients will see partial November benefits remains to be seen. State agencies divvy up and disburse funding, so it’s also hard to say exactly how much each household might get. In the meantime, food banks, restaurants, community groups and more have rallied to fill in the gap and feed their neighbors.

Alameda County Community Food Bank in Oakland, California, has been preparing for this moment for months. Under H.R. 1, the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, approximately 4 million SNAP recipients will lose some or all of their grocery benefits over the next year. As a result, ACCFB was already anticipating increased need, said Michael Altfest, director of community engagement.

When the government shutdown began, ACCFB partnered with TSA workers and other local federal employees to provide grocery assistance. As the shutdown wore on, demand rose. Weekly call volume to the nonprofit’s hunger helpline quadrupled by the end of October. Emergency funding from Alameda County and an advance on the year’s state-funded food bank support allowed the nonprofit to double its food purchases over the course of the month.

ACCFB also expanded its home delivery program and launched a series of pop-up pantries in partnership with the local Social Services Agency. Crucially, Altfest said, ACCFB benefits from a wealth of volunteers who help to procure, pack and distribute groceries.

Altfest said in some ways, the situation is reminiscent of the pandemic. But there are a few key differences: Once the shutdown is over and federal funding resumes, millions of Americans will still lose SNAP. Plus, he said, U.S. poverty declined during COVID, thanks to stimulus checks and emergency funding.

“Right now, it's actually the federal government that's causing all of this,” said Altfest. “There's kind of a big gap in terms of support, when it goes from the federal government doing meaningful intervention, to the federal government is the one that has actually caused what is happening.”

Food banks and soup kitchens may have been prepping for this, but everyday people are stepping up to help, too. For people who want to help and have the means, Altfest suggested looking no further than their own grocery bill.

“One of the most meaningful things they could do is consider what their weekly grocery budget is and make a donation of that amount to a local food bank,” he said. “That's ultimately what we're doing, right? We're filling people's grocery budgets.”

Concerned neighbors have taken to community Facebook groups across the country with offers to be “grocery buddies” with a SNAP-elegible household. 

Rebecca Anne Schafer in Inwood, Manhattan, offered to be a grocery buddy in her neighborhood Facebook group last week. She said her inbox “kind of exploded.”

Now, after buying groceries for her “buddy,” she’s using an online form to match up local SNAP recipients with people who can help, financially or otherwise. One neighbor offered to drive groceries straight to neighbors’ homes — a boon in a city where most households don’t have a car.

“I've been feeling sort of awful about the state of things, and this is my way of donating,” Schafer said.

She isn’t alone. In fact, there’s now a site connecting grocery buddies across the country, through Instacart orders.

Beyond neighbor-to-neighbor assistance, some restaurants are offering free or reduced price meals to SNAP recipients for the duration of the freeze. DoorDash has waived grocery delivery fees at several supermarkets for SNAP-elegible shoppers. Some farmers markets are giving credits to shoppers who show their SNAP card.

A high stakes game of wait-and-see

None of that support changes the fact that it’s unclear when SNAP will be back to normal.

Carol Gundlach, senior policy analyst at poverty advocacy organization Alabama Arise, closely follows changes to SNAP. She’s been involved in hunger advocacy since the late 1970s, and said partial benefits are unprecedented.

“USDA did say in their filing with the court (that it) could be weeks or months before the states are able to calculate and issue the amount of benefits people are eligible for,” she said. “That certainly doesn't, to me, indicate that USDA is anticipating people are going to have SNAP in their pocket by Friday or even by Thanksgiving.”

The formula for partial benefits, Gundlach said, will result in most households receiving less than 50% of their regular allotment, which averages $190 per person. Some households may receive zero benefits. Gundlach also said it’s unclear whether households will be “made whole” when the shutdown is over.

“There is so much uncertainty, and we've gotten more questions than answers. Recipients, understandably, are just panicked and don't understand what's going on with their food stamps or any other benefits,” she said. “The real solution to this is USDA needs to find that other $3 billion, so they can issue 100% of benefits.”

In addition to lobbying lawmakers to wholly fund SNAP, Gundlach and her colleagues at Alabama Arise are pushing for Governor Kay Ivey to call a special session and release state funding for hunger relief, as some other states have done. 

Gundlach said that by withholding SNAP during a shutdown over health care funding, Congress and the White House are trying to force Americans to make an impossible choice.

“Congress is perfectly capable of both supporting the Affordable Care Act and releasing food benefits. And so this choice between, are you going to pay more for health care or are you going to lose your food stamps, is a false choice, and we want to very strongly reject that choice.”

She encouraged concerned people to donate money to food banks, since they can stretch a dollar by buying in bulk at a discount. She also said it’s important to call your legislators.

“Congress made this mess. Congress can fix this mess,” said Gundlach. “They work for us, we elected them. They should be doing their jobs and fixing this.”

SNAP in a shutdown: Frequently Asked Questions

Who receives SNAP?

Nearly 42 million Americans, or one-eighth of U.S. residents, receive SNAP benefits each month. More than a third of SNAP recipients are children and nearly a fifth are over 60. Learn more here.

How much does SNAP cost?

Federal spending on SNAP totaled nearly $100 billion in 2024. But it’s also a crucial piece of the economy. Every SNAP dollar spent during a slowing economy increases U.S. gross domestic product by $1.54, a USDA study estimated.

Is it mandatory that Congress fund SNAP?

Yes. Congress must fund SNAP, it’s a mandatory entitlement in the same category as Social Security and Medicare. SNAP is usually reauthorized under the farm bill. Elected officials may adjust the eligibility criteria and formulas that determine spending on SNAP, as they did with H.R. 1, the latest government spending bill.

Is my state providing interim SNAP funds during the shutdown? 

Many state governments have allocated extra funds to food banks or state SNAP budgets in anticipation of the freeze. You can see a full list here. 

Why was SNAP frozen but not Medicare or Medicaid?

Medicare and Medicaid are entitlements that continue during a government shutdown. SNAP is also an entitlement, and courts ruled it is illegal for the USDA to withhold contingency funding for SNAP.

Weren’t cuts made to SNAP as part of the GOP’s Big Beautiful Bill? Is that why SNAP funding was frozen?

H.R. 1, also known as the “Big Beautiful Bill” limited the eligibility requirements for SNAP, which means an estimated 4 million people will lose some or all of their SNAP benefits. The rollout of new requirements was supposed to begin Nov. 1, but was delayed due to the shutdown. However, this legislation is not the reason SNAP funding is frozen during the shutdown.

Who loses SNAP under the “Big Beautiful Bill?

Millions of people will lose some or all of their SNAP benefits under H.R. 1. Cuts will roll out over the course of the coming year, as applicants re-apply. The bill made five major cuts:

1. Expanded work requirements: Able-bodied adults without dependents must work at least 80 hours a month (or participate in qualifying programs) to qualify for full SNAP benefits. H.R. 1 raised the upper age limit on this category to 64 from 54, and lowered the qualifying “dependent” age from 18 to 14. It also cut work exemptions for veterans, individuals experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth.

2. Eliminated funding for SNAP-Ed, a nutrition education program.

3. Eliminated SNAP eligibility for refugees, individuals granted asylum and trafficking victims.

4. Increased states and counties’ administrative cost burden.

5. States will be required to contribute to SNAP benefits if they have a payment error rate above 6%.

How do I find my nearest food pantry? 

Food Finder or Feeding America’s Find Your Local Food Bank tool can locate your nearest food banks, food pantries and hot meals.

Got more questions about SNAP during the shutdown? Send us an email.