Texas SNAP recipients face uncertain timeline for partial benefits

Central Texas Food Bank volunteers Madison Hartley, left, and Mikki Gibson load groceries into cars at a distribution at Nelson Field on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. The government shutdown has interrupted SNAP funding, increasing demand at food distribution sites across the city.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Wednesday evening that SNAP would be issuing partial benefits in November, following federal court orders in two states. However, the funds may not come as soon as its 42 million recipients hope.

In a Nov. 3 court filing, the Trump administration initially promised the USDA would comply with the court rulings and "will fulfill its obligation to expend the full amount of SNAP contingency funds today." This was echoed by Patrick Penn, the deputy undersecretary for the USDA's Food Nutrition and Consumer Services (FNS).

"Per orders issued by the United States District Courts for the Districts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, FNS intended to deplete SNAP contingency funds completely and provide reduced SNAP benefits for November 2025," Penn wrote in the court filing.

The contingency fund holds around $4.65 billion for this months benefits, which the USDA reported was about half of the approximate $9.2 billion required to cover the full amount for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Therefore, SNAP households would receive roughly half of the usual benefit amounts.

A Nov. 5 court filing then corrected the 50% figure, which was reportedly based on a miscalculation, saying the actual reduction would be closer to 35%. This means recipients would be issued around 65% of their typical benefits.

Despite a Truth Social post by President Trump from Tuesday that implies food assistance benefits would not be issued until the federal government reopens, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt assured reporters the court rulings would not be violated.

"The administration is fully complying with the court order," Leavitt said Tuesday. "The recipients of these SNAP benefits need to understand, it's going to take some time."

The exact timeline for SNAP recipients getting partial benefits is unclear due to the situation's unprecedentedness: Since its establishment in 1961, SNAP has never halted benefits, not has it ever issued partial monthly benefits.

USDA's Patrick Penn warned the court that using the emergency funds to pay for the reduced benefits could take "a few weeks up to several months."

Wesley Story of Feeding Texas, the state association of food banks, told The Texas Tribune that benefits will have a staggered release: Those who lost their benefits first will also be the first to receive partial benefits, continuing until the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) can "catch up."

Mariam Ba, left, waits in line at a Central Texas Food Bank distribution at Nelson Field on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. The government shutdown has interrupted SNAP funding, increasing demand at food distribution sites across the city.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

States also need to revise their figures for partial benefits due to the Nov. 3 miscalculation, which will likely cause further delays, experts say. As of Thursday morning, the Texas HHSC had not indicated a timeline for the distribution of these partial benefits. According to Feeding Texas, recipients will have to wait at least three days after the USDA posts guidance to access the money on their Lone Star Cards.

An estimated 3.4 million Texans are eligible for SNAP benefits, including 1.7 million children.

SNAP benefits were suspended Nov. 1 due to the ongoing government shutdown, as the USDA reported, "Bottom line, the well has run dry." While many food pantries, churches and other community organizations throughout Texas are stepping up to feed those facing food insecurity, the sustainability of providing continuing support was already doubtful in the first days of November.