LANSING, Mich. — A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to issue full November food assistance benefits to roughly 42 million Americans, reversing an earlier decision to provide only partial payments during the government shutdown.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island ruled Thursday that the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) must issue complete Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by Friday, Nov. 7. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has directed its SNAP EBT vendor to begin issuing full benefits to Michigan recipients as soon as federal funding is received.

SNAP recipients who normally receive their benefits on the third, fifth or seventh of the month should receive their full allotment within 48

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