President Donald Trump’s administration has now announced that it will cut SNAP food assistance for November. less than originally announcedthe latest in a political and legal saga that affects the ability of about one in eight Americans to buy groceries.
In a court filing late Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said an earlier plan to cut maximum benefits in half was flawed, and beneficiaries would instead receive up to 65% of their regular aid.
However, some people may see deeper cuts, including some who will not benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Supplement Program in November. There are no plans to raise money if the government shutdown continues into December.
Benefit cards could be loaded as early as Friday in Louisiana, but most states will likely take longer.
The government says cuts will not be as deep after a series of twists and turns.
What the roughly 42 million people in the country who receive food aid can expect has been in flux in recent weeks.
The Trump administration announced last month that it would not pay any benefits for November for the following reasons: federal government shutdown. last week, two judges ordered The government must pay at least part of the benefits using emergency funds. On Monday, the administration announced that it would not provide additional funding, but that the funds needed would be enough to cover half of November’s regular benefits.
The next day, President Trump appeared to make a threat. not paying benefits That’s simply not possible unless Democrats in Congress agree to reopen the government. His spokeswoman later said some benefits had been paid for November and future payments were at risk if the shutdown continued.
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The Department of Agriculture, which administers the program, said in a filing late Wednesday in federal court in Rhode Island that further analysis determined the maximum benefit amount would be 65% of the normal amount.
Speaking at the Greater Boston Food Bank in Massachusetts on Thursday morning, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey said the Trump administration is sending mixed messages: “Now, are we going to fund some of the food for Americans? Are we going to let people go hungry?”
Benefit reduction calculations mean most households will see a reduction of 35% or more
Although such SNAP reductions have never actually been implemented, there are decades-old federal regulations on how SNAP reductions are implemented.
under formula, Households receiving the maximum amount will have their benefits reduced by 35%. The benefits for households of the same size would then be reduced by the same amount. For a family of three, benefits are reduced by $275. According to an analysis by Ben Morin, who runs the benefits website SNAP Screener, it would be $105 less if you live alone.
This means that households with the lowest incomes are least likely to be affected. An analysis by the progressive Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that just over a third of beneficiaries received the maximum amount for the 12-month period ending in September 2024.
There’s one more problem. This only applies to households of one or two people. Their minimum benefit amount is $16. Some large households are lining up to receive nothing in November.
Carmel Scaife, a former daycare owner in Milwaukee, said she hasn’t been able to work since sustaining multiple serious injuries in a car accident seven years ago, but typically receives $130 a month from SNAP. She said even when she was looking for bargains, she barely had enough for a month’s worth of groceries.
Scaife, 56, said she will have to tap into more of her Social Security income for groceries once her benefits are cut. “That way I pay fewer bills,” she said. “But it’s the only way I can survive.”
When your card is recharged varies by state
States are working to update their calculations and systems to make partial payments to beneficiaries.
Louisiana officials said by Friday that Connecticut and North Carolina could begin implementation by next week. Not sure about some states. The Alabama Department of Human Resources said this week it was unclear how long it would take. “This will be a complex process that will require a review of the eligibility system, a notification process for the state, and ultimately delays in benefits,” the Alabama Department of Human Resources said in a statement this week.
In a court filing earlier in the week, the USDA warned that in some states it could take months for some of the benefits to be applied to debit cards used for the program.
Most states have increased funding to food banks, and some have launched programs that provide state-funded benefits directly to SNAP recipients.
Cities, nonprofits ask judge to force full funding
Lawyers for the USDA and the cities and nonprofits that sued to continue funding in November were scheduled to argue at a hearing on the judge’s request for full SNAP funding that month.
The group said in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Rhode Island that partial benefits “do not adequately redress the harm caused.”
The government said it is leveraging other funding to ensure child nutrition programs can continue during the closure.
“It should not be arbitrary and capricious for USDA to refuse to raid a disparate multibillion-dollar program in hopes that Congress will fix the budget deficit through the general appropriations process,” the USDA said in its filing.
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Associated Press writers Sarah Klein in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Susan Hay of Hartford, Conn.; and Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this article.
