After weeks of mixed messages and legal whiplash, some families are finally receiving their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, but others are still waiting.

A tangle of court orders, agency directives and political infighting in Washington, D.C., has left the nation’s largest anti-hunger program in chaos, with tens of millions of Americans wondering what happens next.

As lawmakers make tentative agreements , SNAP benefits could be distributed sooner rather than later—albeit far later than usual for many recipients.

Why It Matters

SNAP benefits were not distributed as scheduled this month amid the government shutdown. With 42 million low- and no-income Americans relying on the program —sometimes known as food stamps—to help them buy groceries, the disruptio

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