Trump Administration To Partially Pay SNAP Benefits: What It Means For RI

President Donald Trump’s administration said Monday that it will partially fund SNAP payments to Rhode Island recipients in November after a pair of judges’ rulings required it to keep the food aid program running.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture froze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program over the weekend because it said it could no longer keep funding it due to the government shutdown. The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. It costs about $8 billion per month nationally.

NBC News reported the administration plans to use all $4.65 billion in contingency funds to cover about half of each eligible household's SNAP benefits this month. The administration said it would need at least $4 billion in additional government funds to provide full SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps.

Related: Find A Food Bank In Rhode Island As Shutdown Stalls Federal Food Aid

It’s not clear how much beneficiaries will receive, nor how quickly beneficiaries will see value show up on the debit cards they use to buy groceries. The process of loading the SNAP cards, which involves steps by state and federal government agencies and vendors, can take up to two weeks in some states. The average monthly benefit is usually about $190 per person.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the nation’s largest food program, said last month that benefits for November wouldn’t be paid out due to the federal government shutdown. That set off a scramble by food banks, state governments and the nearly 42 million Americans who receive the aid to find ways to ensure access to groceries.

Last week, Rhode Island joined a group of 26 states in suing the Trump administration, claiming the USDA unlawfully suspended SNAP benefits during the ongoing government shutdown, a lawsuit that was the basis of a Massachusetts court ruling ordering that the benefits be paid.

Related: RI Attorney General Neronha Sues Trump Administration For SNAP Funding Freeze

“There are few things more important than access to food, which is why today’s order is so crucial,” Attorney General Peter F. Neronha said in a media release issued Friday.

“As Americans continue to struggle with inflation and the rising costs of housing, health care, and everyday items, we cannot allow the federal government to strip away a safety net program which feeds those who cannot afford to feed themselves," Neronha said. "As a reminder, the USDA has billions in contingency funds so the 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP can continue to feed their families in the case of a government shutdown. This is a matter of life and death, and I’m grateful that these funds will soon flow to families that need them the most.”

Related: Rhode Island Gov. McKee Declares State Of Emergency Over SNAP Funding Freeze

Gov. Dan McKee declared a state of emergency last week to deploy up to $6 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funding to over 20,000 eligible families with children and directing $200,000 of Social Services Block Grant funding to the RI Community Food Bank.

“I’m encouraged that the courts confirmed what I've been saying all along: President Trump has the authority and responsibility to use SNAP contingency funds to prevent families from going hungry," McKee said Friday in a media release.

"But let’s be clear: because President Trump has been dragging his feet on releasing these funds, it’s still uncertain when families will actually see relief and in what amount," McKee said. "The President could act right now and authorize the funds ahead of Monday’s hearing and that’s what he should do. Rhode Islanders can’t wait. They need food now, and I'm going to continue to do everything I can to support them.”

Related: SNAP Benefits May Change In Rhode Island Due To Government Shutdown

More than 145,000 Rhode Islanders were set to lose SNAP assistance in November after the USDA informed states that benefits would not be paid during the shutdown.

Federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts ruled nearly simultaneously on Friday that President Donald Trump's administration must continue to fund SNAP, the nation's biggest food aid program, using contingency funds during the government shutdown.

In Providence, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell ruled from the bench in a case filed by cities and nonprofits that the program must be funded using at least the contingency funds, and he asked for an update on progress by Monday.

Related: Trump Freezes $13.4M In RI Funding To Pressure Democrats To End Shutdown: Report

Along with ordering the federal government to use emergency reserves to backfill SNAP benefits, McConnell ruled that all previous work requirement waivers must continue to be honored. The USDA during the shutdown has terminated existing waivers that exempted work requirements for older adults, veterans and others.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.