WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has ordered states to “undo” full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments already issued for November, following a Supreme Court ruling that temporarily blocked a lower court’s order to release full benefits during the ongoing government shutdown.
In a late-night memo Saturday, Patrick Penn, deputy undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, instructed state agencies to halt full payments and reissue only 65% of normal benefits. The directive warned that noncompliant states could face federal penalties or repayment demands for “unauthorized” overpayments.
The move adds further uncertainty for more than 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP, as the shutdown—now entering its sixth week—has disrupted food assistance programs nationwide. Several states had already begun issuing full payments after a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the administration to restore funding by Friday.
The USDA did not clarify how states should retrieve funds already distributed to households. Governor offices and food banks in several states described the directive as chaotic and potentially harmful to low-income families already struggling with inflation and delayed aid. The White House and USDA declined comment.
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