Over the past several days, millions of low-income Americans who use SNAP, the nation’s biggest food aid program, have been left wondering how they will pay for basic necessities this month amidst the ongoing government shutdown. Today, they have an update: In a court filing submitted on November 3, the Trump administration said that it would pay just 50% of recipients’ normal allotments this month.

Last year, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program helped 41 million people (or about 1 in 8 Americans) buy their groceries, nearly two-thirds of whom were families with children. To qualify for SNAP in 2025, a family of four’s net income can’t exceed the federal poverty line of around $31,000 per year. Normally, the debit cards that SNAP recipients use to buy food at participating store

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