The Trump administration says it will restart SNAP food benefits but that it will pay out only half the amount people normally get.

The administration says it will use money from an Agriculture Department contingency fund. The $5 billion in that fund falls well short of the full cost of SNAP benefits – $8 billion – each month. In a court filing, officials said depleting that fund means "no funds will remain for new SNAP applicants certified in November, disaster assistance, or as a cushion against the potential catastrophic consequences of shutting down SNAP entirely."

The decision comes after two federal judges ruled that freezing payments for the country's biggest anti-hunger program is unlawful, even as the money ran out this weekend for the 42 million people who rely on SNAP to put f

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