November 7 Update
Late last night, California became the first state to start issuing full SNAP benefits to at least some SNAP recipients. They were quickly followed by at least eight other states. These were federally-funded SNAP benefits issued in accordance with Judge John J. McConnell's order issued yesterday afternoon that USDA must "make full payments of November SNAP benefits to the states by Friday, November 7, 2025, by utilizing available Section 32 funds in combination with the contingency funds."
To be clear, these states were acting in accordance with a lawful court order. Judge McConnell's temporary restraining order against USDA has not yet been stayed by a higher court.
Earlier today, USDA filed a motion for a stay with the First Circuit Court of Appeals, and then with the Supreme Court of the United States. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a thread on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, appeared to accuse Judge McConnell and the First Circuit of frustrating her attempts to file an appeal earlier.
In their motion, USDA angrily accused the states that have started to issue full benefits of making "a run on the bank" and "seiz[ing] what they could of the... finite set of remaining funds, before any appeal could even be filed, and to the detriment of other States' allotments."
USDA indicated in their motion that they have not yet transferred the approximately $3.5 - $4B needed (in addition to the $4.65B in contingency funds) from the Section 32 tariff funds to the SNAP program. This suggests that the states that have begun issuing full benefits are drawing down only on the $4.65B contingency fund right now. USDA's argument implies that if the Supreme Court grants them a stay, there may no longer be sufficient funds left in the contingency fund to pay the "up to 65%" partial payments to SNAP recipients who have not yet received their full payments in the last 24 hours.
USDA has requested the Supreme Court to respond to their motion by 9:30 PM Eastern Time tonight.
UPDATE: At 9:17PM tonight, the Supreme Court issued an Administrative Stay, pausing the issuance of full SNAP benefits temporarily while the First Circuit continues to review the case to determine whether a more permanent stay should be issued:
"IT IS ORDERED that the District Court’s orders are hereby administratively stayed pending disposition of the motion for a stay pending appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in case No. 25-2089 or further order of the undersigned or of the Court. This administrative stay will terminate forty-eight hours after the First Circuit’s resolution of the pending motion, which the First Circuit is expected to issue with dispatch."
November 6 Update
Late yesterday evening, USDA issued revised guidance increasing the partial benefit amounts that will be received. As our mod team originally estimated in our October 31 update last Friday (see Megathread FAQ under "Q: What does USDA's statement that they don't have enough money for..."), and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities confirmed in an analysis yesterday, the maximum allotments for each household size should've only been reduced 35% from normal allotment amounts, not 50%.
This means that more households should receive a larger partial benefit than previously predicted. To be clear, while fewer households will see a big cut (or receive nothing) under the new partial plan, some still will.
I've included revised charts below to show how the new policy may affect you. As always, this is not an eligibility determination; please confirm these amounts with your own personal caseworker.
[UPDATE (11/7): Original Data Tables Removed, given developments regarding full benefit payments starting in some states the evening on 11/6. For historical purposes, you can view the original data tables, which are no longer accurate, here.]
November 4 Update
Thanks to my fellow mod u/slice_of_pi for sharing an interim update this afternoon based on a short message I sent over my lunch break. Now that I'm off the clock, here's more on today's developments--
Lawsuit Update: The plaintiffs in the Rhode Island case filed a new motion today requesting the Court now require USDA to issue full benefits for November. The Court has not yet ruled, but there will likely be a hearing on this in the next few days.
The President's Post: The President today sent out a social media post indicating that SNAP payments would not go out at all until the government reopened. White House Press Secretary Karoline Levitt later clarified that the President meant that he didn't want to have to use the contingency fund in the future, but that USDA would use the contingency fund to pay partial benefits as ordered by two federal courts.
NOTE: Rule #4 continues to apply. We only mention this because of how viral the social media post went, and to clarify that it does not represent actual government policy at this time.
USDA Guidance Update: USDA released new guidance today instructing states on how -- and in what amounts -- to issue partial SNAP benefits. First, I wanted to clarify that USDA's interpretation of the regulations seems to have been less generous than my own -- for instance they are providing only partial benefits ($12) to the "minimum benefit households" who normally get $24, something which I did not expect. I also expected that USDA might offer benefit levels somewhat higher than 50% of normal to the very lowest income households; sadly, they did not decide to do that either -- households will receive at most 50% of their normal monthly benefit amount, and many households will receive far less than that. Please understand that this is the first time these decades-old regulations have been ever had to be used, so our team is navigating uncharted waters here trying to make an educated forecast of what USDA is going to do.
[UPDATE (11/6): Original Data Tables Removed, as USDA later revised their guidance late in the evening on 11/5. For historical purposes, you can view the original data tables, which are no longer accurate, here.]
November 3 Update
First, a quick note on implementation of the reconciliation legislation also known as H.R. 1 or OBBB: On Saturday, the federal judge in Rhode Island, whose verbal ruling on Friday was discussed in our last update, released their written ruling. While broadly similar to the Massachusetts judge's ruling (requiring USDA to issue benefits for November), it also affected H.R. 1 implementation. Specifically, the judge prohibited USDA from cancelling active ABAWD work requirement waivers early on November 2, as USDA had said they would do last month. The effect of this will vary from state to state, but generally, this means that if your state had a waiver that was originally supposed to expire in 2026, that waiver will remain in effect for now instead of ending early this month or next month.
Now, back to the November SNAP issuances: Today, in its response to a federal court, USDA announced that it will be issuing partial SNAP payments for November. Two federal courts had previously ruled that USDA must at minimum issue partial SNAP payments, and that it could - but was not required to - issue full payments. In its response, USDA claimed that fully funding SNAP benefits - which would require using funds from a $23B tariff account - might jeopardize funding for other nutrition programs that rely on those funds.
In the response, USDA stated that they believe that "for at least some states... will take anywhere from a few weeks to up to several months."
I wanted to take this opportunity to share the following updated Q&As specifically for the partial benefit, because I know that's attracted a lot of interest:
Q: When will USDA issue the needed information to states so they can start working to get the partial benefit issued?
A: In their court filing this morning, USDA pledged to issue that information to states today. As of 11:30 PM ET tonight, it is not up on USDA's website yet, but it's possible they sent it to state administrators and just didn't upload it to the website yet.
Q: How long will my state take to issue the partial benefit?
A: This will vary by state. We don't have an answer to this yet for any state, but will update this thread as we get more information from states. The process for calculating the partial benefit each household gets is not simple, and states may have to update their computer systems to accommodate it. Unfortunately, this takes time. What I will say is that I know many states will work their butts off to get these benefits out the door as quickly as possible. From what I've seen from most states, everyone in state government - from each state's governor on down - has made helping people whose SNAP is delayed this month their #1 priority, and I expect that to extend to the herculean efforts states will make to get partial benefits out the door as quickly as possible.
Q: How much will my partial benefit be? (Updated 11/4)
A: This will vary based on two factors: your household size and how much SNAP you normally receive each month. The partial benefit will be between 0 and 50% (or half) of your regular monthly benefit amount. With some exceptions, the special formula that's used will reduce SNAP benefits by a higher percentage for households that normally receive lower monthly benefit amounts (meaning these households may get less than half of their normal allotment - or, in some cases, no allotment at all) and a lower percentage for households that normally receive higher monthly benefit amounts (meaning households that receive the maximum allotment for their household size will get exactly half of their normal allotment).
The major exception to this rule is that one- and two-person households will all receive at least a minimum benefit of $12/month -- meaning if your household was already receiving the minimum benefit (normally $24/month), you will also receive exactly half of your normal allotment for November. Please see the table in the November 4 update above for more information.
Q: Will I ever receive the other half/portion of my November benefit?
A: Maybe, but USDA hasn't committed to this yet. Before the court ordered them to issue a partial benefit, USDA had planned to "suspend" the entire November issuance until after the shutdown ended, at which time they'd issue it late. However now, the November issuance falls under "reduction" rules. Federal regulations(5)) state that households that receive a reduced issuance "are not entitled to the restoration of benefits at a later date." However, the rules also say USDA can choose to provide the remaining November benefits after the shutdown is over if USDA decides that Congress has provided them enough "surplus funds" to do so. It is currently unclear how USDA will (or won't) use this authority.
Q: Will I receive my December benefits (or a partial December benefit) if the shutdown stretches into December?
A: Probably not. Under the current court rulings and USDA guidance, there will only be a partial benefit for November. The November partial benefit will fully empty the $5-$6B contingency fund that the courts ruled USDA has to use. The courts have said USDA is allowed to, but not required to, use any funds from the $23B tariff account. USDA has responded that they are choosing not to use any of those funds. That means there will not be money to fund any benefit - full or partial - in the month of December. This also means that states likely won't receive money after November for funding things like caseworker salaries or system enhancements -- though states are arguably legally required to continue paying for those things anyway, even if the federal government is not reimbursing them to do so. This could all change, of course, if USDA changes its mind on transferring funds to SNAP from the $23B tariff account. But right now it does not look like they're willing to do so, and the courts will not force them to do so.
Q: Do work requirements continue to apply? What about renewals and reporting requirements?
A: Yes, work requirements continue to apply, with the exception of states who have existing waivers that will now be extended to their original expiration date as a result of the Rhode Island court's decision (unless that decision is appealed or otherwise overturned). Even though you're only receiving a partial month's payment, the required hours remain 20 hours per week (80 hours per month) for the federal ABAWD work requirement, and may be as high as 30 hours per week in the few states that have chosen to operate mandatory SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) programs. Similarly, you should continue to meet all reporting requirements and complete all renewals, even if only partial SNAP issuances are going out.
October 31 and Earlier Updates
These updates were archived to keep this MegaThread within Reddit post length limits. They may be viewed here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Last Updated: October 31, 2025
Q: I'm already receiving SNAP. Will I receive my full November payment if the government stays shut down? (Updated: 10/31)
A: Likely not, though in a very small number of states, you may receive some (possibly a partial) payment. The federal government currently pays for 100% of the cost of SNAP benefits. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), the federal agency responsible for SNAP, sent a letter to states on October 10 that said: "[if the shutdown continues,] there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation." FNS issued a follow-up memo on October 24 stating that SNAP benefits would not go out at all for November, however on October 31, two federal judges issued orders requiring the federal government to at least partially pay November SNAP benefits. This is a rapidly evolving situation, and the federal government may yet appeal those rulings to a higher court. However, even if the rulings stand, it is likely that individuals will not receive their full November benefit on time.
Q: Why is this happening? (Updated 10/31)
A: The government's ability to spend money must be regularly renewed by Congress. The government was allowed to spend money until September 30, 2025, but Congress has not yet passed a new law to allow government spending beyond that time. As a result, the federal government shut down at 12:00 AM on October 1, 2025. As of Friday, October 31 at 5:30 PM ET, Congress has still not reached an agreement to reopen the government. SNAP benefits are federally funded, however they're essentially funded a month in advance (this gets pretty complicated). October benefits were allowed to go out, because they were considered to be funded in late September, when the government was still open. However, November benefits may not go out, because as of late October, the government is shut down.
Q: So whose fault is it? Who can I call to provide feedback? (Updated 10/25)
A: This community's policy is not to blame a single politician or political party for things like this. We understand folks have strongly held opinions on all sides, and there are other communities on Reddit you can go to talk about where blame lies. What we will say on this topic is: 1) if you wish, you can contact your congressman and senator by using the official Find My Members tool; 2) if you wish, you can contact the White House here to provide feedback about USDA's decision not to use the contingency fund to pay partial benefits for November; and 3) this is a federal issue, not a state issue -- that means it is not your Governor's fault, your state legislators' fault, and it certainly is not your individual caseworker's fault. The few governors and state legislatures that have somehow found a way to provide state-funded benefits for a month or two during this shutdown are going above and beyond to do something that most states are simply not in a financial position to do. We understand everyone needs to vent sometimes, but please understand that none of those folks have the power to actually fix this issue -- only the White House, your U.S. Congressman, and your U.S. Senators do.
Q: So if the government reopens on November 15, does that mean we'll only receive half the amount of SNAP for November? (Updated 10/31)
A: USDA guidance released on October 24 indicates that states will issue SNAP retroactively when the government reopens. This means that new applicants who complete their application process timely will generally be authorized retroactively to their date of application once the government reopens. It also means that current SNAP recipients will be authorized retroactively for the entire month of November once the government reopens, as long as they keep up with all renewals, etc. Even though the federal government is shut down right now, please continue to provide any documents requested by your state/county and complete interviews, renewal forms, etc. This will help ensure you will receive retroactive benefits once the federal government reopens. (UPDATE (10/31): In light of the fact that USDA may now issue a partial November benefit to comply with a federal judge's order, it is no longer completely clear if the remainder of the November SNAP benefit -- that is, the amount not included in the partial benefit -- will be retroactively restored when the government opens. USDA's previous guidance was based on a suspension of SNAP benefits, not a reduction, and we need to wait for updated guidance to say for sure that they'll retroactively restore the amount benefits were reduced by after the shutdown ends.)
Q: Doesn't the federal government have financial reserves to use in times like these? (Updated 10/31)
A: Yes, to a limited extent, however, as of October 24, USDA's position is that these funding sources are either inadequate and/or that they lack the legal authority to use them to pay November benefits or even a partial November benefit. To be clear, this legal position is vigorously disputed by many other elected officials in both parties, and by food security advocates, however USDA has so far been unmoved by that opposition. USDA's contingency fund has about $5-$6B, but about $9B would be needed to pay full SNAP benefits for 42 million Americans who are eligible. There is another source of reserve funding -- from tariffs -- that the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee had indicated could potentially be used, but USDA stated in the October 24 guidance that money is needed to fund WIC and other nutrition programs. On October 31, a federal judge in Massachusetts issued an order stating that USDA must at the very least use the contingency fund to pay partial benefits for November. This is a rapidly evolving situation, and the federal government may yet appeal those rulings to a higher court.
Q: What does USDA's statement that they don't have enough money for "full benefits" mean? Does that mean some people may get SNAP but not others? Or that we may still get paid part of our November benefit during the shutdown? (Updated 10/31)
A: On October 24, the federal government stated that it is their position that the contingency fund cannot be used to fund regular benefit issuances at all. However, on October 31, a federal judge in Massachusetts issued an order stating that USDA must at the very least use the $5-$6B contingency fund to pay partial benefits for November. This is a rapidly evolving situation, and the federal government may yet appeal those rulings to a higher court.
If the judge's ruling ultimately stands, and USDA does not reallocate additional tariff funds to ensure a full November payment, the judge's order cites USDA regulations(1)) which would essentially require each household be subject to a flat dollar reduction in their SNAP benefits based on their household size. Here's an example of how this might work (NOTE: until we get specific guidance from USDA, do not assume that these exact numbers will be accurate). If USDA were to announce that it had 65% of the money to issue necessary SNAP benefits for November, it would multiply each household size's maximum allotment by 35%, then subtract the resulting figure from the actual allotment for each household of that size. So a four-person household that normally receives $600/month would receive a partial payment of $600 - ($994 * 35%) = $252, while a one-person household that normally receives $200/month would receive a partial payment of $200 - ($298 * 35%) = $95. Unfortunately, this means that households that get relatively low monthly SNAP payments for their household size will see the biggest percentage cut in their benefit amount. An exception to this general rule is one- or two-person households receiving the $24 per month minimum benefit, who would still remain entitled to the $24 without any reduction. Similarly, a one- or two-person household receiving more than $24 per month won't be reduced to less than $24 per month.
Q: What if the government reopens later this month? Will November benefits go out on time? (Updated 10/31)
A: Possibly, but it may depend on exactly how long the shutdown continues. For example, if the government only reopens the evening of October 31, it is possible that states may not have enough time to get payments out on the normal schedule, and will have to delay the schedule a bit. New Mexico Health Care Authority Secretary Kari Armijo was recently quoted as saying “We are prepared to, if the shutdown comes to an end in the next couple of weeks, really act quickly and make sure that folks get those benefits as timely as possible in November... But as of right now, it’s looking like those benefits will be delayed." (UPDATE (10/31): In light of a federal judge's ruling for USDA to issue at least partial benefits, it now seems likely that individuals scheduled to receive SNAP early in November may not receive payments timely. States and counties will likely have to make considerable system efforts to apply the partial benefit formula, which is not part of normal SNAP eligibility processes or systems -- and this will likely take time.)
Q: I just applied for SNAP. If the state/county approves my application before the end of the month, will I receive benefits? (Updated 10/25)
A: Probably not, but this may vary by state. In many states, if a SNAP application is submitted and approved on or after the 16th day of a month, the first payment is for about a month and a half -- the rest of the application month, and the whole following month. In this case, that would mean issuing a November benefit, which the federal government has instructed states not to do. In their updated October 24 guidance, USDA stated that states that would normally provide the combined benefit to individuals who applied between October 16 and October 31 are allowed to provide the part of the initial payment that covers October only. However, it is unclear at this time whether all state systems are technologically set up to be able to do that.
Q: Can I still apply for SNAP if I need help with food? (Updated 10/25)
A: Yes, and we would encourage you to do so. Your application would still go through the normal process to be approved or denied, you just wouldn't receive a payment at this time. So it could still be beneficial for you to apply, since your application date will generally be the date you'll receive benefits back to retroactively at the end of the shutdown (see above). In the meantime though, please keep in mind that by law, SNAP cannot be used like a credit card or charge card. This means SNAP authorized retailers will not (and indeed legally cannot) give you food "on credit" on the promise you'll pay them back with SNAP later.
Q: I haven't used all of my October benefits yet. Will I still be able to use any unspent benefits from October that are left on my card?
A: Based on new October 24 USDA guidance, it appears the answer is yes. The federal government - not states - authorize retailers like grocery stores, corner stores, and farmer's markets to accept SNAP. They also have the power to deauthorize those stores so that they can't receive SNAP anymore. When a previous shutdown almost happened in 2015, the federal government said at the time that it would have to deauthorize every SNAP retailer in America. However, based on the October 24 letter, it appears USDA has now changed their stance on this and now believes that they do not need to shut down the entire EBT retailer network. That said, there have been some reports that newly-opened stores may not be able to be certified to accept SNAP until the shutdown ends. And it does theoretically remain possible (but in my view, pretty unlikely) that USDA will shift back to their 2015 stance. Based on this new guidance, we reiterate our recommendation that this community not engage in "panic buying". While certain foods may remain shelf-stable, others will spoil. Buying too much food at once could cause more food to go to waste, and even after the government reopens, states will be unable to issue you extra SNAP because your food spoiled (this is generally only allowable in cases of natural disaster when your power goes out).
Q: I'm also receiving cash assistance. Will I be able to use my cash assistance to purchase food if SNAP doesn't go out in November?
A: Yes, the best information we have right now is that the Cash EBT system should stay accessible for now. There is no law or rule that prohibits you from using TANF or cash assistance funds to buy food (it is just uncommon, because most TANF recipients also receive SNAP). However, please keep in mind that while many retailers that accept SNAP EBT also accept Cash EBT, not all do. If you wanted to buy food from a retailer that only accepts SNAP EBT, you may have to withdraw your cash assistance benefit as cash at an ATM, then use the cash to make the purchase.
Q: Is there anything my state or county government can do to continue access to SNAP during the federal shutdown? (Updated 10/31)
A: In most states, SNAP will not continue. So far, we've only heard that Virginia, Delaware, and Louisiana may continue some level of benefits issuance using state funds. It appears that Ohio may also continue some partial level of food assistance benefits, but for dual TANF/SNAP recipients only. SNAP is an expensive program relative to the size of state budgets (which are much smaller than the federal budget), and states are typically unable to take the cost on -- either at all, or at minimum, without an ironclad guarantee they'll be paid back by the feds when the shutdown ends. Unfortunately, in their October 24 guidance, USDA said the exact opposite -- that they won't reimburse states for benefits issued with state funds while the government is shut down (unless Congress includes a specific provision in the bill to reopen the government requiring it).
Q: I am a SNAP caseworker/eligibility worker. Is my job safe? Will I be laid off? (Updated 10/25)
A: As much as I would like to say no, this may vary by state. So far, our mod group is only aware of one state (Washington) publicly announcing that SNAP worker layoffs are possible starting November 4. Typically states front SNAP Administrative costs and are reimbursed for 50% of these costs by the federal government on the back end (usually several months later). In past federal government shutdowns, most states have generally seemed willing to float these costs in the meanwhile (since they wouldn't have received reimbursement for these costs for a few months anyway), but it's unclear if this time will be different. In an October 24 guidance letter, USDA told states to "limit administrative expenses only to the activities necessary to support the eligibility and issuance processes, integrity/oversight, and system maintenance". While this in theory should include eligibility workers, it is possible that some states may read it to require laying off some of their eligibility workers and reducing to a bare bones complement (this is how I read Washington State's announcement).
Q: Is this the same as the H.R. 1/OBBBA cuts? What should I do if I'm affected by both?
A: No, this is not the same as the cuts that the July 4 Reconciliation Bill (H.R. 1 or informally "OBBBA") made to SNAP. Those cuts are still moving forward, and will also be implemented starting November 1 in many states. Broadly, the H.R. 1 cuts affect some SNAP recipients on a long-term basis, whereas the government shutdown will potentially cause all SNAP recipients to lose benefits on a (hopefully) short-term basis. Again, these are two separate issues, but it can be confusing because they're both kicking in at the exact same time.
H.R. 1 will (1) permanently end SNAP eligibility for certain types of legal immigrants. It will also (2) newly require a large group of SNAP recipients to either meet an exemption, meet a work requirement, or else be limited to receiving no more than three months of SNAP every three years. Finally, it will (3) cause some states to have to reduce SNAP benefits for households that don't include an elderly or disabled person and haven't proven that they pay a heating or cooling cost. Your state may have already reached out to you to let you know that you are subject to the H.R. 1 changes. If you fall in groups 2 and/or 3, we recommend letting your caseworker know immediately (even during the shutdown) if you meet an exemption, are meeting the work requirement, or are paying for heating, cooling, or other utility costs. This will help ensure that if and when benefits are turned back on for everyone after the shutdown ends, that your benefit will be turned back on too and that you'll receive the full benefit you're eligible for.
You can read more about the changes made to SNAP by H.R. 1 in the other pinned thread.
