WASHINGTON, Nov 9 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has ordered states to reverse any actions taken to distribute full food assistance benefits to low-income Americans, warning that failure to comply could result in financial penalties.
The directive came after the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could continue withholding $4 billion in funds intended to fully support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—which helps around 42 million Americans—while a lower court reviews the case.
SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps, stopped at the beginning of the month for the first time in the program’s 60-year history due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, now in its 40th day.
Earlier on Friday, before the Supreme Court’s decision, the USDA had told states it was preparing to comply with a federal judge’s order to restore full benefits. Several states, including Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey, began taking steps to do so.
However, the Supreme Court’s ruling overrode those actions, and the USDA’s new guidance issued Saturday instructed states to issue only partial benefits. The agency warned that any state continuing to provide full benefits could face penalties, including the loss of federal administrative funding or being held financially responsible for overpayments.
Some states had considered covering the full benefits with state funds, but it remains unclear whether the USDA’s memo applies to those cases.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey criticized the move, saying, “If President Trump wants to penalize states for preventing Americans from going hungry, we will see him in court.”
The dispute stems from an ongoing legal battle between several states, cities, and advocacy groups and the Trump administration, after the government announced in October that SNAP funding would lapse on November 1. Federal judges had previously ruled that at least partial funding should be maintained using contingency funds, but the administration appealed.
As the case moves through the courts, millions of Americans have been forced to rely on food banks and cut essential expenses such as medication to make ends meet.
“This is not just a bureaucratic dispute—it’s a real-time crisis for millions of families. The suspension of SNAP benefits during an extended government shutdown reveals how fragile the social safety net has become. Withholding $4 billion in aid may appear like a fiscal measure, but in practice, it’s a direct hit to households already living paycheck to paycheck.
The legal back-and-forth between the courts and the administration only deepens uncertainty for states trying to plan emergency food assistance. Even if funding is eventually restored, the damage in public trust and the strain on local food banks will take months to recover. In short, we’re witnessing how political and legal maneuvering can have immediate human costs.”
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