Published October 31, 2025
In recent days, many have asked the question: When will Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits be issued if the parties win their lawsuit against the Trump administration? The short answer is — it depends on the state.
The two federal courts have ruled that the Administration must use contingency funds to provide at least partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November.
The 26-state lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts on October 28, 2025, argues that the administration unlawfully suspended November SNAP benefits. A separate lawsuit filed by national nonprofit organizations on October 30, 2025, is also moving forward, with a decision expected soon. Even if the court rules in favor of either group, the process of getting benefits into recipients’ accounts will still take time.
Behind the scenes, most state eligibility systems have already completed the technical process of generating November benefits. Those benefit files are currently being held and cannot simply be “undone.” To move forward, states will need to either reprogram their systems to modify those files or manipulate the already generated files to issue a prorated amount — such as 50 percent of the regular benefit, while awaiting further direction from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). For more information on how SNAP benefits move through the system, from state agencies to Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) processors, USDA, and ultimately to recipients, read FRAC’s blog.
Teams in several states have identified potential solutions to do this quickly, but it will still require building, testing, and verification before benefits can be issued. If the proposed fix works as expected, the process may still take a couple of days to complete. In addition, the process is highly manual and carries risks of administrative errors — both in issuing prorated amounts and preparing to release the remaining benefits once funding decisions are finalized.
Even with a favorable ruling, SNAP benefits will not be fully funded because of existing federal funding contingencies. As a result, states will likely have to issue prorated benefits, a partial amount of what households are owed. USDA will need to determine how to calculate and authorize prorated amounts before states can proceed. Compounding the delay, it remains unclear how many staff within USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) have been furloughed or reassigned under reductions in force (RIFs). These staff are essential to reviewing, approving, and transmitting the files needed to release benefits. Until staffing levels and processing capacity are confirmed, the timeline for issuing benefits remains uncertain.
That means it is unlikely that benefits will post immediately, even if the court’s decision comes quickly.
Avoiding Delays: The Administration Has the Power to Act Now
All of this can be avoided if the administration simply does its job. The Trump administration has both the power and the authority to ensure that SNAP benefits continue uninterrupted, but has chosen not to act. In doing so, it is holding vulnerable Americans hostage as political chess pieces.
Allowing hunger to deepen during a shutdown is not inevitable; it is a policy choice. The administration has acted swiftly to fund other priorities but has not shown the same commitment to ensuring that families with low incomes can access food through SNAP. Learn more here about how the shutdown process works and why this issue reflects political will, not capacity.
While we applaud the multistate lawsuit challenging the administration’s inaction, it should never have come to this point. The fastest, most effective, and most equitable solution is for the administration to exercise its authority and fully fund SNAP now. This is more than just about the shutdown; it is about leadership and choice.
Advocates should make their voices heard and push back against the false narrative being advanced by the Trump administration. This crisis could have been avoided. Families did not need to wait for benefits. Advocates are encouraged to use social media and other communication to share accurate information, emphasize that this is a preventable situation, and remind the administration that: feeding families is not optional; it is a federal responsibility.