Courts, States Scramble Over SNAP Benefit Delays

The federal government shutdown has halted November SNAP allocations, and despite two federal judges ordering use of emergency contingency funds, it remains unclear when or whether millions of recipients will receive November benefits. The USDA reportedly instructed states not to issue November benefits, and courts have ordered the USDA to produce a funding plan by Nov. 3, but bureaucratic and legal uncertainty persists. States and localities are scrambling: Virginia launched the state-funded VENA program to provide weekly emergency EBT payments to about 850,000 residents; Kansas officials say November benefits were not processed and have joined a multi-state lawsuit; West Virginia has shifted food to banks and activated the National Guard for distributions. Food banks nationwide are seeing sharp increases in need — Las Vegas’ Three Square reported a 16% rise and ran emergency distributions for roughly 1,000 households, while the San Francisco–Marin Food Bank partnered with DoorDash to deliver groceries to those who cannot reach sites. Prediction markets price about an 89% chance that the USDA or OMB will announce a nationwide delay, suspension, reduction, or non-issuance of November SNAP benefits, reflecting expectations of widespread disruption. Officials, charities and community donors are expanding emergency food aid and urging rapid federal compliance to prevent immediate hunger as legal and operational questions are resolved.