Food banks and hunger relief organizations are seeing an increase in the number of people lining up for food packages and calling helplines since Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were halted on Nov. 1.

Nearly 42 million Americans have lost benefits meant to help low-income and vulnerable households pay for groceries.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that no SNAP benefits will go out to Americans until after the government reopens -- a day after the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in court it would make partial payments to recipients .

A USDA official told a federal judge on Monday that using emergency funds for the program could take "a few weeks to up to several months."

Meanwhile, food relief workers say calls from people asking for help are spikin

See Full Page