The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has ordered all states to stop issuing full food stamp benefits for November and to reverse any payments already made, after a Supreme Court justice temporarily halted a lower court’s directive that required full disbursement of aid.
The agency instructed states to instead issue only 65% of November’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotments, following a prior court order earlier in the week.
According to a Saturday memo obtained by CNN, USDA official Patrick Penn warned states that sending full payments was “unauthorized” and directed them to “immediately undo” such actions. States that fail to comply could lose federal funding and be held financially responsible for any overpayments. The directive leaves millions of low-income Americans uncertain about their benefits as conflicting court orders and agency guidance continue to create widespread confusion
.The chaos stems from an ongoing legal battle over whether the USDA must tap into its $5.3 billion contingency fund to provide full benefits during the government shutdown. On Friday, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued a temporary pause on a lower court order requiring the USDA to transfer $4 billion to the SNAP program, siding with the Trump administration for now. The move reversed an earlier ruling by U.S. District Judge John McConnell, who had demanded that the USDA use tariff revenues and other funds to ensure full November payments.
Several governors have publicly condemned the USDA’s shifting directives. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced on Friday that residents would begin receiving full benefits, only to halt further payments the next day after the Supreme Court’s intervention. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore criticized the administration for causing “intentional chaos,” while North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said families deserve “certainty, not confusion.” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey vowed to fight back, saying, “If President Trump wants to penalize states for preventing Americans from going hungry, we will see him in court.”
Some states had already distributed full benefits before the USDA’s latest memo. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers refused to reverse his state’s actions, noting that nearly 700,000 residents had already received their funds. Kansas also issued $32 million in full benefits to 86,000 households. Both states now face uncertainty about whether they will be reimbursed by the federal government.
With about one in eight Americans relying on SNAP, the situation has created mounting anxiety nationwide. Federal and state officials await further court guidance to determine whether full benefits will be restored—or whether millions of struggling families will have to make do with partial aid as the shutdown drags on.
SOURCE: blacknews.com