When Can People Expect to Receive SNAP Benefits? Confusion Reigns as Trump Administration Rebels Against Court Order

The approximately 42 million Americans who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are facing further uncertainty in the midst of delayed payments prompted by the ongoing government shutdown.

A Department of Agriculture official said in a memo Friday afternoon that the Trump Administration was working to fully fund November’s SNAP payments in compliance with a federal judge's order and would "complete the processes necessary" to make the money available later in the day for states to disburse.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell on Thursday ordered the Administration to fund the month's payments in-full by Friday, using a contingency fund of $6 billion and a separate allocation of $23 billion called the Section 32 fund.

The order pushed back against the Administration’s plan to provide partial benefits during the second month of the government shutdown.

McConnell accused the Trump Administration of withholding the food stamp benefits for “political reasons” and warned that evidence shows “people will go hungry, food pantries will be overburdened, and needless suffering will occur” should payments not be made in-full.

Even as the Administration indicated that it was seeking to comply with McConnell's order, it also asked the First Circuit Court of Appeals to block the directive. The Department of Justice requested earlier on Friday that any orders that request the government to use funds beyond the contingency fund be suspended.

“This unprecedented injunction makes a mockery of the separation of powers. Courts hold neither the power to appropriate nor the power to spend,” argued the DOJ. "This Court should allow USDA to continue with the partial payment and not compel the agency to transfer billions of dollars from another safety net program with no certainty of their replenishment."

The appeals court denied the request for a temporary block Friday evening, leaving the order in place.

The Trump Administration had filed an initial appeal immediately after Thursday’s court order. A document obtained by TIME shows the Department of Justice’s notice of appeal against the most recent court order and an earlier one that instructed the federal government to use emergency reserves to fund SNAP throughout November.

The legal action came after Vice President J.D. Vance rebuked the order on Thursday evening.

“It’s an absurd ruling because you have a federal judge effectively telling us what we have to do in the middle of a Democrat government shutdown,” he said during a roundtable with Central Asian leaders at the White House, during which he was seated next to Trump.

“What we’d like to do is for the Democrats to open up the government of course, then we can fund SNAP and we can also do a lot of other good things for the American people,” Vance said. “But in the midst of a shutdown we can’t have a federal court telling the President how he has to triage the situation.”

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins assured the public on Nov. 4 that partial SNAP payments, in line with the previous court order, would be made, albeit with untimely delays.

“This will be a cumbersome process, including revised eligibility systems, State notification procedures, and ultimately, delayed benefits for weeks, but we will help States navigate those challenges,” Rollins said.

That same day, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Administration “is fully complying with the court order” in regards to making partial SNAP payments in November.

The Trump Administration’s latest actions have prompted backlash from Democrats.

“I have never seen an American President so desperate to force children and seniors to go hungry. Donald Trump is appealing a federal court's order requiring him to pay the full SNAP benefits for this month,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington State. “This is as ugly and cruel as it gets.”

Food banks and food insecurity experts have also criticized the move.

“This action is abhorrent and unconscionable,” said “outraged” president of the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) Crystal FitzSimons in a statement to TIME on Thursday.

“Instead of using the funding that has been readily available to feed people, this Administration continues to fight to deny tens of millions from accessing the nutrition they need. For some unfathomable reason, the Trump Administration wants to punish the 42 million people, including children, working parents, older adults, people with disabilities, and veterans, who rely on SNAP to put food on the table,” said FitzSimons.

The halt of SNAP benefits, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has become a key talking point in the bitter stalemate between Republicans and Democrats. Sen. Elizabeth Warren this week accused President Donald Trump of using “hungry children as a bargaining chip,” mirroring remarks by fellow Democrats, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last month accused Trump of “endangering people’s lives” ahead of the payments halting on Nov. 1.

Catherine D’Amato, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Food Bank, describes the ongoing confusion and back-and-forth discussion over SNAP benefits as "unnecessary," arguing that it leaves millions of Americans unsure about what amount of support they will receive and when it will arrive.

“There's a fund to do it. Go do it, and you shouldn't [need to] have a court in the United States tell the President of the United States to stop it,” she tells TIME.

D’Amato says the Greater Boston Food Bank, which distributes resources to pantries across Massachusetts, is continuously assessing its stockpiles and the needs of its partners amid this fraught time.

“The 600 food banks that we provide food to are having to reprioritize every day,” D’Amato explains, adding that community support is crucial to keep food bank services operational and able to keep up with the increased demand.

Amid increasing concerns over food insecurity, here's what we do—and don't—know about the expected SNAP payment plans for November.

How much are SNAP recipients set to receive?

The Trump Administration had agreed to revive SNAP using money from a Department of Agriculture contingency fund, but they only agreed to pay out half the amount participants would typically receive.

According to the most recent USDA data, federal funding for SNAP was $99.8 billion in 2024, with a monthly average of around $8.32 billion across the country for almost 42 million Americans. The USDA estimates that the average recipient received $187.20 a month in 2024, but payment amounts vary depending on household size, disability status, and income.

Patrick Penn, the deputy under secretary for Food Nutrition and Consumer Services at the Department of Agriculture, confirmed in a legal filing on Monday that there is $6 billion in the contingency fund—and $4.65 billion of that would be left for November SNAP benefits.

However, in light of the Trump Administration’s latest notice of appeal, it remains to be seen as to if and when SNAP recipients will receive their November payments, and how much they will obtain.

Are some people no longer eligible to receive SNAP?

The revised SNAP guidance offers details on groups that will no longer be eligible for SNAP payments. These changes were initially laid out in Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill," which was signed into law on July 4.

Referred to as “Alien groups” by the USDA, people with their deportation orders currently withheld will no longer be eligible, as well as “certain American Indians born abroad” or Hmong or Highland Laotian Tribal Members, unless they are Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR). Refugees are also no longer eligible.

Parolees, who previously would be eligible after a 5-year waiting period, are also no longer able to receive SNAP benefits.

From Nov. 1 onwards, more SNAP recipients will also be subject to work requirements and time limits. People are advised to check their state's official website for further information.

Read More: Food Banks and Experts Issue Grave Warning as SNAP Benefits Set to Run Out Amid Government Shutdown

When can eligible SNAP recipients expect to receive payments?

States typically differ as to when they deposit their SNAP benefits to recipients, with locations following their own payment calendars.

North Carolina officials, for example, told the almost 1.4 million SNAP recipients within their state that payments for November could come as early as next week.

"If federal funding is provided this week as expected, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services expects all partial benefits to be loaded onto EBT cards by next week, so beneficiaries should check the balances on their cards often," the notice read.

However, this notice was noticeably put forth prior to the latest legal tussle regarding SNAP benefits

The Trump Administration had previously said that benefits stand to be significantly delayed across the board.

During a press conference at the White House on Tuesday, Leavitt warned of untimely delays.

“The recipients of these SNAP benefits need to understand it's going to take some time to receive this money," she said.

TIME has reached out to the USDA and the White House for further information.

Meanwhile, there are continued efforts to fill the gap left by the halting of SNAP benefits.

Tennessee's Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday announced the allocation of $5 million for food banks in his state.

"As the government shutdown continues, I'm grateful to non-profit partners serving Tennesseans in their time of need," he said. "To strengthen these efforts, I'm announcing $5 million in new state funding for food banks. Grants will be allocated based on SNAP populations in each region."