SNAP

A federal judge in Rhode Island has ordered the Trump administration to find the money to fully fund SNAP benefits for November. The ruling Thursday was in response to a challenge from cities and nonprofits complaining that the administration was only offering to cover 65% of the maximum benefit. The Trump administration said last month that it would not pay benefits at all for November because of the federal shutdown. Last week, two judges ordered the government to pay at least partial benefits using an emergency fund. It initially said it would cover half, but it now says it will cover 65%.

President Donald Trump caused some confusion earlier Tuesday when he appeared to threaten SNAP benefits unless Democrats voted to reopen the government — despite court orders mandating that the administration keep the nation's largest food program running. Press secretary Karoline Levitt said the administration continues to pay out SNAP funding using contingency funding, which is what two separate judges ordered on Monday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had planned to freeze SNAP payments starting Nov. 1 because of a lapse in funding during the government shutdown. The government says the emergency fund it will use has enough to cover about half the normal benefits.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank is declaring an emergency as the federal government shutdown enters its fifth week with thousands of Southwest Florida families struggling to put food on the table, SNAP benefits about to be paused and federal employees in critical roles such as transportation and public safety continuing to go unpaid.

Various answers have cropped up for people seeking food in the wake of SNAP benefits being suspended in the government shutdown.

Southwest Florida outlets of a chicken salad restaurant are offering free meals for children until SNAP benefits are restored.

The DeSantis administration is warning nearly 3 million Floridians who rely on federal food assistance that their benefits won’t be available in November due to the federal government shutdown. “If the federal government shutdown continues into November, (supplemental nutrition assistance program) SNAP benefits for the month of November will not be issued until federal funding is restored,” the Florida Department of Children Families (DCF) posted on its webpage.

Here's important background info and research to bolster news coverage of potential reductions in federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) locations are being planned in DeSoto, Lee, and Manatee counties. D-SNAP provides food assistance for Florida residents impacted by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton who are not receiving food assistance through the regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 

D-SNAP provides food assistance for individuals and families impacted by Hurricane Ian and who are not receiving food assistance benefits through the regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.