"Food stamp" benefits could be returning soon to some beneficiaries after the US Department of Agriculture announced on Monday that it will dip into a contingency fund to pay at least part of November benefits.
The federal agency told the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, in response to an order to reinstate payments, that the Ag Dept. "intends to deplete SNAP contingency funds completely and provide reduced SNAP benefits for November 2025."
The special contingency fund being accessed has about $4.6 billion in it, according to the department, about half of the $9 billion dollars usually sent out to states each month -- so the amount in the fund will "cover 50% of eligible households' current allotments."
The SNAP money is released to states, who administer the program to its recipients.
It's estimated that 42 million people are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program, with each getting some money, though it may only amount to half the normal amount.
SNAP benefits were not available for November disbursement because the money in the program's account ran after Congress failed to come to an agreement to keep the program funded, making it a casualty of the federal government shutdown that's now its 34th day.