A sign for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is displayed at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy of USDA)
Delayed food assistance benefits will be loaded onto payment cards overnight, South Dakota officials said Tuesday, but recipients will receive only a portion of their usual benefits.
The state Department of Social Services said it hopes to load the rest of the money onto payment cards later, after the federal government shutdown ends.
The state department said it followed Saturday guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, which directed states to issue 65% of benefits. But the state department said that because recipients’ benefits are calculated by household based on federal rules, “amounts received by beneficiaries will vary.”
US Supreme Court maintains temporary freeze on full SNAP benefits for November
South Dakota typically distributes Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments on the 10th day of the month, which was Monday. The benefits were delayed because of federal shutdown-related chaos affecting the program that helps 42 million Americans, including 75,000 South Dakotans, afford groceries. It takes about $15 million of federal funding monthly to cover benefits in South Dakota.
On Thursday, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to pay the program’s full November benefits, despite the ongoing government shutdown, which was caused by Congress’ failure to pass a spending bill on time.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture told states it was releasing full November funding for SNAP, and the South Dakota Department of Social Services said it would pay full benefits Monday.
Later Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked the order from the lower court, which the Trump administration had appealed. The South Dakota Department of Social Services reacted Saturday by saying it had “paused implementation of its plan to provide full benefits.”
Monday night, the U.S. Senate passed a bill that could end the government shutdown, but the bill still needs approval from the House and a signature from President Trump, which is expected later this week.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court extended through Thursday its pause on the lower court order that had directed the Trump administration to pay full November benefits.
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