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The Trump administration has ordered states to stop the distribution of full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, a move that impacts food aid for over 42 million low-income Americans. In a memo issued late Saturday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) instructed state agencies to "immediately undo any steps" taken to provide complete payments and warned of financial penalties for non-compliance.
This directive follows a pivotal U.S. Supreme Court order from Friday. The court allowed the administration to temporarily withhold approximately $4 billion in funds designated for the program while legal challenges proceed in lower courts. The memo specifies that states are now only authorized to deliver 65% of the benefits. The disruption to the federal food assistance program has created significant uncertainty for millions of households that rely on this aid for daily subsistence.
SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps, had already lapsed at the beginning of November for the first time in the program's 60-year history due to a federal government shutdown. In response, some states had initiated measures to ensure residents would receive their full allotment. The new USDA guidance explicitly reverses those efforts, forcing states to roll back their plans or risk federal sanctions. The mandate to reduce SNAP payments has been criticized by Democrats and hunger-relief advocates, who argue it will plunge vulnerable families into crisis.
Before the Supreme Court's intervention, the administration had stated it would not fund the program fully. The subsequent late-night memo to state agencies formalizes this position, leaving states and recipients in a precarious situation as the legal battle over the funding continues. The outcome will determine whether millions of Americans can access the full food assistance they were expecting for the month.
