NEW YORK (PIX11) – The federal government must fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in November despite the shutdown, two judges ruled earlier this week.

The USDA originally planned to let benefits lapse, but the judges argued that the agency could use its more than $4 billion in contingency funds to partially pay for the program.

SNAP normally costs $8 billion a month to fund, which means recipients should expect to get less money than usual this month. It may also take longer for EBT cards to be reloaded with cash as states navigate the judges’ ruling.

A New Yorker who gets the maximum SNAP benefit of $298 per month is now expected to get $149 in November. Here’s how much households that get the maximum SNAP benefit can expect to receive: • 2 people: $546 -> $273 • 3

See Full Page