Government shutdown live updates; latest on SNAP benefits and funding fights Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY November 2, 2025 at 4:38 AM 0 WASHINGTON – It's not clear when millions of families will receive their November food aid benefits, even after two federal judges ruled last week that the Trump administration needs to make at least partial payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as the government shutdown continues. The payments appeared set to stop at the beginning of November, as shutdown has stretched on into a new week.
- - Government shutdown live updates; latest on SNAP benefits and funding fights
Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY November 2, 2025 at 4:38 AM
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WASHINGTON – It's not clear when millions of families will receive their November food aid benefits, even after two federal judges ruled last week that the Trump administration needs to make at least partial payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as the government shutdown continues.
The payments appeared set to stop at the beginning of November, as shutdown has stretched on into a new week. But federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled Oct. 31 that the U.S. Department of Agriculture needs to use $5.25 billion in contingency funds to make at least partial payments.
Both judges also said the Trump administration has the option to use certain discretionary money to provide the benefits in full for November. They gave the administration a limited number of days to provide an update on what it's doing.
Keep up with the latest updates from the USA TODAY Network.
What have judges said about SNAP benefits for November?
Massachusetts federal Judge Indira Talwani said in a written decision that the government is required to use its contingency funds to the extent they're needed to keep the SNAP program funded. She also said the administration is allowed to transfer other funds that come from charges on imports to supplement the contingency funds.
Talwani ordered the administration to tell her by Nov. 3 whether it will authorize at least reduced benefits for November and, if it does, its timeline for determining whether it will also authorize full benefits using the combination of the contingency funds and the other money.
Meanwhile, in a short written entry on a case docket Oct. 31, following a court hearing, Rhode Island federal Judge John McConnell ordered the administration to distribute the contingency funds and update him by noon on Nov. 3 on the status of that distribution. The administration followed up on that order with a motion stating that the judge needed to include reasons and better explain what's required.
McConnell responded with a written order Nov. 1, saying the government needs to use the contingency funds to at least partially fund the November benefits, and has the option of using other available funds. McConnell told the administration to make full payments by Nov. 3, if it plans to use discretionary funds to make that possible. He said if the administration chooses to only make partial payments with the contingency funds, it needs to do that by Nov. 5.
McConnell may have provided an extended deadline for partial payments because the government has said implementing partial payments for the country would require re-working existing systems.
1 / 14Free food as SNAP benefits haltedFood items at a Food Bank of the Rockies distribution site in Aurora, Colorado, including milk, pasta and frozen blueberries.Why is there a government shutdown?
Large segments of the federal government shut down on Oct. 1 because Congress failed to pass a new spending bill to fund the government.
The congressional fight centered on health care. Democrats wanted a bill that would extend subsidies that reduce health insurance premiums for millions of Americans. The subsidies are set to expire at the end of 2025.
A man holds a sign reading "SNAP Feeds Families," as food aid benefits will be suspended starting November 1 amid the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, during "A Rally for SNAP" on the steps of the Massachusetts Statehouse in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., October 28, 2025.When did the shutdown begin?
The federal government shutdown started on Oct. 1, after Congress failed to pass a bill continuing to fund government operations. Roughly 700,000 federal workers have been furloughed. Hundreds of thousands more are working without pay.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Government shutdown live updates; latest on SNAP benefits
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Published: November 02, 2025 at 02:54PM on Source: ONEEL MAG
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