SNAP benefit distribution in the United States has been alarming for quite some time. With the government shutdown halting food stamps for around 40 million Americans, Donald Trump’s administration faced massive backlash from federal courts, which ordered it to restart the program using emergency funds.
A recent USDA memo ordered states to deliver only 65 percent of SNAP benefits while the federal government remains shut down. The memo also instructed states to reclaim funds from recipients who had already received full payments for November 2025. The Trump administration called these full payments “unauthorized” and warned that federal administrative funds could be withdrawn.
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Oh my God! ⚖️
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has ordered the suspension of SNAP benefits for 48 hours.
Raise your hand✋if you want Secretary Brooke Rollins to force everyone to re-register to receive SNAP benefits.
This eliminates bots, deceased individuals, and illegal… pic.twitter.com/52EfZlwigT
— New World (@22BMCG) November 10, 2025
An excerpt from the memo read, “To the extent States sent full SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was unauthorized. Accordingly, States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025.”
For the unversed, the Trump administration recently gained significant relief after it appealed to the Supreme Court against directives issued by lower courts ordering the restart of SNAP funds.
Recently, the Trump administration won a temporary reprieve when it appealed to the Supreme Court to block lower-court orders requiring the restart of SNAP funds. The Supreme Court then prohibited state governments from making full food stamp payments, lifting the earlier deadline set by federal judges. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson agreed on Friday to extend the deadline for ordering officials to use contingency funds to release SNAP payments.
Nearly 42 million low-income Americans rely heavily on these benefits for grocery assistance. This marks the first time in U.S. history that the SNAP program has experienced a complete shutdown as of November 1, following a record-breaking government closure.
Following this new memo, most states have rushed to comply, redirecting already-issued funds to food banks — creating widespread confusion and frustration. The situation has been especially chaotic in states like New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, which had already announced plans to issue full payments.
As a result, a Massachusetts judge recently filed a lawsuit in response to the chaos surrounding SNAP. Reflecting on the disturbing circumstances, the judge underlined,
“[Officials have] not sent … any centralized or coherent guidance regarding how to navigate these unprecedented circumstances and what steps USDA will take to resolve the chaos created by its actions.”
The U.S. Senate passed a 60-40 procedural vote late Sunday, with eight Democrats joining Republicans to advance a measure funding federal agencies through January 2026, including TSA and extending SNAP benefits to September, ending the longest government shutdown in history.…
— Dave Smiley (@smileyradioshow) November 10, 2025
Given the latest directive observed by the government in power, it is obvious that 42 million Americans will once again be affected by the benefits being reduced. Previously, a Rhode Island–based judge had called for full payments to be made as soon as possible, citing the hunger of thousands of people. The judge said, “The evidence shows that people will go hungry, food pantries will be overburdened, and needless suffering will occur. Last weekend, SNAP benefits lapsed for the first time in our nation’s history. This is a problem that could have and should have been avoided.”
Earlier, the administration had agreed to pay only half the benefits as partial payments, given the ongoing government shutdown. But now that many recipients have already received full payments for their food assistance, it will be difficult for authorities to have those funds returned.
