The Trump administration will send partial payments to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries in November, according to a federal court filing.
The administration said it would “fulfill its obligation” to release the funds, using a reserve to cover “50% of eligible households’ current allotments.” Two judges ruled the administration had to use a federal emergency fund to pay for food assistance to low-income Americans even as the government shutdown persists.
The administration did not say when the payments will be released to beneficiaries. Allotments are typically sent to beneficiaries on the first of the month, but the Nov. 1 payment was missed.
As the showdown over the essential program played out over the weekend, President Donald Trump had called on Democrats to abandon their push for expanded health care subsidies and vote for GOP-backed legislation to reopen the government. Republicans control the House, Senate and White House but don’t have enough Senate votes to break the logjam.
Knox News asked the Tennessee Department of Human Services, which administers benefits to the one in 10 Tennesseans who rely on SNAP, when cards will be reloaded, and a spokesperson said the state was working on the details as the news broke.
SNAP benefits are only available to families making $3,483 or less per month for a family of four. More than 34,600 SNAP recipients live in Knox County and there are nearly 700,000 in Tennessee.
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Tennessee guidance on SNAP
The Tennessee Department of Human Services’ website does not have updated guidance on how and when benefits will be distributed in Tennessee following the ruling. It does provide guidance for recipients and applicants:
Current SNAP households
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Those who have leftover or unused benefits from October on EBT cards can use them in November.
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There is no need to reapply for benefits once they are being distributed again.
SNAP applicants
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The Tennessee Department of Human Services will keep processing SNAP applications, but no new benefits will be sent out until the shutdown ends.
SNAP renewals
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Those who receive letters to renew their SNAP benefits should continue following steps to renew.
Quality reviews
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Those who are contacted to do a quality control interview should still follow instructions to do so.
USA TODAY Network contributed to this report.
Allie Feinberg is the politics reporter for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; Reddit: u/KnoxNewsAllie
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: SNAP will resume in Tennessee, but only with partial payments
