The US Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to withhold for now about $US4 billion needed to fully fund a food aid program for 42 million low-income Americans this month amid the federal government shutdown.

The court's order, known as an administrative stay, gives a lower court additional time to consider the administration's formal request to only partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps, for November.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who issued the stay, set it to expire two days after the Boston-based 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals rules on the administration's request to halt a judge's order that the US Department of Agriculture promptly pay the full amount of this month's SNAP benefits, which cost $US8.5 billion to $US9

See Full Page