USDA to Tap into Contingency Fund to Pay Partial SNAP Benefits Amid Government Shutdown.
The US Department of Agriculture has announced that it will use a contingency fund to pay partial food stamp benefits in November, amid the ongoing government shutdown. The move comes after a federal court ordered the administration to tap into the fund to cover the lapse in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding caused by the shutdown.
According to a declaration submitted to the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island, Patrick Penn, a Department of Agriculture official overseeing SNAP, said that the administration intends to deplete the contingency fund completely and provide reduced SNAP benefits for November. The $4.6 billion in the contingency fund will be used to cover 50% of eligible households' current allotments.
However, relief to food-aid recipients may not be immediate, as officials warn of potential payment errors and significant delays due to variations among state eligibility systems. Some states may need several months to adjust their systems for reduced payments, according to USDA's understanding.
Democracy Forward, a legal advocacy group representing municipalities and nonprofit organizations that sued the Trump administration, has stated its intention to take all necessary steps to secure full funding for SNAP benefits. The organization argues that it shouldn't take a court order to force the president to provide essential nutrition to those in need.
The US Department of Agriculture had initially planned to use contingency funds for state administrative expenses and disaster relief. However, officials have now agreed to tap into the fund to cover part of the shortfall, as ordered by Judge John McConnell.
This decision comes amidst concerns that the shutdown will leave 42 million Americans relying on SNAP without food stamp payments in November. The situation has been compared to a "humanitarian crisis," with some states pledging to continue providing assistance despite federal funding gaps.
In response to criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups, Senator Amy Klobuchar called for the administration to transfer money from other programs to fully fund November benefits. She argued that the courts have made it clear that the government has the authority to do so, and that playing politics with hunger is unacceptable.
The US Department of Agriculture has announced that it will use a contingency fund to pay partial food stamp benefits in November, amid the ongoing government shutdown. The move comes after a federal court ordered the administration to tap into the fund to cover the lapse in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding caused by the shutdown.
According to a declaration submitted to the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island, Patrick Penn, a Department of Agriculture official overseeing SNAP, said that the administration intends to deplete the contingency fund completely and provide reduced SNAP benefits for November. The $4.6 billion in the contingency fund will be used to cover 50% of eligible households' current allotments.
However, relief to food-aid recipients may not be immediate, as officials warn of potential payment errors and significant delays due to variations among state eligibility systems. Some states may need several months to adjust their systems for reduced payments, according to USDA's understanding.
Democracy Forward, a legal advocacy group representing municipalities and nonprofit organizations that sued the Trump administration, has stated its intention to take all necessary steps to secure full funding for SNAP benefits. The organization argues that it shouldn't take a court order to force the president to provide essential nutrition to those in need.
The US Department of Agriculture had initially planned to use contingency funds for state administrative expenses and disaster relief. However, officials have now agreed to tap into the fund to cover part of the shortfall, as ordered by Judge John McConnell.
This decision comes amidst concerns that the shutdown will leave 42 million Americans relying on SNAP without food stamp payments in November. The situation has been compared to a "humanitarian crisis," with some states pledging to continue providing assistance despite federal funding gaps.
In response to criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups, Senator Amy Klobuchar called for the administration to transfer money from other programs to fully fund November benefits. She argued that the courts have made it clear that the government has the authority to do so, and that playing politics with hunger is unacceptable.
...I get that we need a budget, but 42 million people can't just go hungry because of some bureaucratic mess 
. The fact that they're only covering 50% of benefits is still better than nothing, I guess 
. But come on, how are payment errors and delays going to affect these families? It's not like they're asking for the moon here 
. And yeah, Senator Klobuchar said it best - playing politics with people's food stamps is a huge deal 
. Can't we just find a way to make this work without causing so much harm? 
. 42 million ppl relying on SNAP is no joke, and we should be supportin' our neighbors in need 
. The fact that they gotta use contingency funds instead of state admin expenses or disaster relief shows the gov's got its priorities straight 
. Don't wanna play politics w/ people's meals 
. We should be focusin' on gettin' SNAP benefits out ASAP, not worryin' 'bout court orders 
️. Maybe they could've done some planning ahead? IDK, but at the end of the day, we gotta put food on the table for those countin' on us 
i feel bad for those fams who dont know where their next meal's coming from. but at least usda is stepin up to pay partial benefits 
it's not perfect tho, esp with all the payment errors and delays... can't help but wonder how they're gonna get everything sorted out in like 3 months 
. and senator klobuchar is totally right, playing politics with ppl's stomachs is just low 
the fact that they're only covering 50% of benefits is still better than nothing but come on, how much more can one family really stomach? And now they gotta fix it in the courts, what a joke 
like, we all know who's gonna get hurt here, not some fancy lawyer trying to make a buck. And Klobuchar is right though, playing with people's plates shouldn't be something politics are made of 
i hope senator klobuchar gets her way & the admin transfers more funds 2 SNAP ASAP 
. the fact that they had 2 tap into a contingency fund 2 pay out some benefits is just a Band-Aid solution 
. we need a real solution here, like senator klobuchar said 
.
. I mean, shouldn't the government be able to provide for its citizens without having to resort to court orders? It's like they're playing politics with people's plates being empty 
, and it had similar consequences. So yeah, I think some people are right when they say that playing politics with hunger is unacceptable 
.
. We can't have people going without food stamps because of bureaucracy 
. We need to do better and find ways to prevent these kinds of situations from happening in the first place 
.
the contingency fund thingy is a good start but its still not enuf we need more support 4 these families who r already strugglin to make ends meet 
.
The whole situation is super frustrating 
. And now, they're only covering 50% of eligible households' current allotments? That's still 50% too little for me 
It's not like this is the first time we've seen these kinds of problems during shutdowns. We should be better than this 
.
. It's not like we can't afford it – we just need to prioritize people over politics 
.
this all feels like a huge mess... US Gov't shutdown causing problems for 42 million people who rely on SNAP 
it's not like they didn't know this was gonna happen, and now we're hearing that the administration is basically winging it by using a contingency fund... 50% of benefits sounds like a slap in the face to people who really need help 
. If the courts aren't gonna force them to take care of their own citizens, who will? It's not like the feds are doing anyone any favors here 
. I get why they gotta use the contingency fund, but still...50% of benefits? that's not even close to enough 
its just not right that we gotta rely on courts to make sure people get food stamps 
this whole thing just feels so messed up