Federal Judge Protects SNAP Benefit Payments in November

Recently, the federal food assistance program known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) became the center of a legal conflict. This situation caused worry for millions of families who depend on SNAP benefits to buy food.

The confusion started when a court order made the Trump administration give out full SNAP benefits in November, even though the government was partially shut down at the time.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) first told states to send out these payments, and many states did so quickly.

However, after the administration got a temporary delay from the Supreme Court, they tried to reverse their decision. They told states to "immediately undo" the payments and get the money back.

Critics called this move "vindictive games" against the states. People receiving SNAP weren’t sure if they would have to return the money, but a federal judge later stepped in to protect them.
 

What Did the Judge Decide?

Judge Indira Talwani, from Massachusetts, ordered that the USDA could not make states take back SNAP money that had already been sent out.

The judge said that states made the right decision by following the USDA’s first instructions, and that the USDA caused the confusion itself.
 

What Does This Mean for SNAP Recipients?

People in over 17 states, including California, Michigan, New York, and New Jersey, who received their full SNAP benefits in November, can keep the money. The states do not have to ask people to repay these benefits.

The judge made it clear that taking the money back would hurt the 42 million Americans who depend on SNAP much more than it would hurt the government.
 

Why Did the Trump Administration Want to Stop the Payments?

The administration wanted to save funding for SNAP during the partial government shutdown.

Officials said they needed to carefully use limited funds to support other important food programs, like WIC (Women, Infants, and Children). They argued that court decisions made it hard to manage these limited funds.

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