SNAP BENEFITS SLASHED TO 50% FOR 42 MILLION AMERICANS AMID SHUTDOWN DELAYS
The Trump administration has announced that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which supports 42 million Americans with food assistance, will be partially funded for November using an emergency fund following court orders, though benefits may be delayed by weeks or months due to processing and system changes.
Beneficiaries in the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., can expect approximately 50% of their usual monthly allotments, with maximum benefits reduced accordingly—for example, from $298 to $149 for a one-person household, $546 to $273 for two people, up to $1,789 to $894 for eight, plus $109 per additional person—while higher amounts apply in Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands due to elevated food costs.
Actual payments vary by household based on income, assets, dependents, and other factors, with a rough estimate calculable by subtracting 30% of net monthly income from the maximum allotment; minimum payments will be $12 for one- or two-person households in the contiguous states and D.C. (higher elsewhere).
Delays stem from the ongoing government shutdown, with states handling the crisis variably—some like New Mexico and Virginia using their own funds to reload EBT cards, others awaiting federal action or supporting food banks—complicating the reloading process, which can take up to two weeks in some areas.
