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By Aliss Higham
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After more than a month of uncertainty and delayed benefits, SNAP beneficiaries will now begin to see their monthly benefits paid out, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has confirmed.
Why It Matters
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed a funding bill to end the nation's longest government shutdown, clearing the way for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to begin issuing payments again. Trump put his signature to the long-awaited bill hours after the House passed the measure on a mostly party-line vote of 222-209. The Senate had already passed the measure on Monday.
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Millions of households that rely on SNAP had been left in limbo for weeks as the shutdown, which lasted 43 days, stalled funding and created widespread confusion.
The program, which supports about 42 million low- and no-income Americans, has been at the center of legal turmoil since the administration announced that November benefits would not be paid because of the lapse in federal funding. The decision sparked multiple lawsuits, including one filed by several Democratic-led states, prompting a series of conflicting court orders. As a result, SNAP recipients have faced a patchwork of outcomes: Some states delivered full benefits, others provided partial payments, and some issued none at all.
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What To Know
Speaking on CNN on Thursday, Rollins said: "We, immediately last night, began moving out, making sure that the program continues unabated, starting once the government reopened, and hopefully by the end of this week, most will receive it—at the very latest on Monday."
Despite the funds being released, Rollins cautioned that not every SNAP recipient would receive their money at the same time.
"But keep in mind, the SNAP program is funded by the federal government, but it is the 50 states and 50 different infrastructures that move that money out, which is what made it so complicated, the patchwork," she added.
A spokesperson for the USDA also confirmed to Newsweek that SNAP funding would be sent out "within 24 hours for most States."
The USDA also advised in a letter to state SNAP agencies that they "must take immediate steps to ensure households receive their full November allotments promptly."
December SNAP Benefits and Beyond
SNAP benefits for December are expected to be unaffected by the shutdown and paid as normal.
The funding bill is set to keep SNAP flowing until the end of the fiscal year on October 1, 2026, when lawmakers will need to pass new spending legislation.
However, the bill keeps the government running only through January 30, meaning lawmakers must return to Washington soon to reach another funding deal.
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