The Trump administration said Monday it will pay partial food benefits this month after two federal judges ordered it to do so.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it would pay benefits reduced by 50% to the 22 million households enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The agency warned there could be significant delays, however, as states adjust benefit amounts to reflect the reduction. November’s benefits were supposed to go out starting on Saturday.
The USDA previously said it couldn’t tap a contingency fund to pay November’s SNAP benefits during the ongoing government shutdown, which has dragged on since October as Senate Democrats refuse to vote for a government funding bill that doesn’t address the expiration of health insurance subsidies.
In response to lawsuits from nonprofits and Democratic states, judges in two separate federal courts said the USDA had misread the law and ordered the agency to pay either full or partial benefits.
