The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will receive only half of its customary funding for November, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Monday as part of an emergency measure amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.

The total monthly cost of SNAP runs at about eight to nine billion dollars and supports roughly 42 million low-income Americans.

The partial funding decision comes after two federal judges ordered the administration to use a contingency fund of approximately 4.65 billion dollars to keep benefits flowing.

The administration filed in federal district court in Rhode Island that it would tap the contingency reserve and deliver half the usual benefit for November.

It affirmed that no additional funds outside that reserve will be used this month, citing that those resources must be earmarked for child nutrition programmes.

Notably, the USDA warned that some states may face delays of weeks or even months in issuing even the reduced benefits, since issuing agencies must re‐program systems to accommodate the cut.

Legal challengers — including a coalition of Democratic-led states — continue to press the administration for full funding of November benefits, arguing that the contingency fund alone is sufficient under statute.

Senate Democrats also attempted a resolution to mandate full payments but were blocked by Senate Republicans, who said the broader issue is the government shutdown itself.

Several states have already moved to cover the gap created by the partial federal payments.

For example, Maryland announced a 62 million dollar state payment to ensure full benefits for its 680,000 recipients, while Virginia and the District of Columbia also provided state funds to support local households.

The truncated federal contribution is the first such reduction in SNAP’s 60-year history, and food banks in multiple states report rising demand as uncertainty over distribution timelines deepens.

Despite the funding shortfall, the administration emphasised that a partial payment is preferable to a full cutoff and stated that once appropriations resume, it will seek to restore normal benefit levels.

Meanwhile, states must update their benefit systems, issue guidance and coordinate with electronic-benefit-transfer processors before households can receive payments.

The funding move underscores the real-world impact of the federal funding impasse: the shutdown not only keeps thousands of federal employees unpaid, but now also jeopardises full food‐aid support for vulnerable Americans.