SNAP benefits will restart, but will be half the normal payment and delayed

The Trump administration has announced it will restart SNAP food benefits, but payments will be reduced by half and may be delayed. This decision follows two federal judges ruling that freezing SNAP payments due to the government shutdown was unlawful. The administration plans to use funds from an Agriculture Department contingency fund, which has only $4.65 billion available, insufficient to cover the usual $8 billion in monthly payments. Officials warn that depleting this fund could leave no money for new applicants or disaster assistance. While the administration will not appeal the judges' ruling, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that restoring full funding could take time due to necessary administrative processes. Many states have stated they will use their own funds to cover the shortfall, but the administration has stated it will not reimburse them. The delay is also attributed to the logistical challenges of recoding state eligibility systems for reduced benefits, a process that could take weeks or months in some states. Food banks are attempting to mitigate the impact, but advocates stress that they cannot fully compensate for the massive gap left by the reduced SNAP benefits. Anti-hunger advocates are expressing concern and uncertainty about the situation, emphasizing that food banks alone cannot fill the void.