On Friday, the federal court in Rhode Island issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) in the lawsuit brought by the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) and a broad coalition of other plaintiffs seeking to protect SNAP benefits. The federal government just today released its mandated report to the court, stating that “The U.S. Department of Agriculture is complying with the Court’s order and will fulfill its obligation to expend the full amount of SNAP contingency funds today by generating the table required for States to calculate the benefits available for each eligible household in that State.”
This marks a shift from earlier federal statements that the contingency fund could not be used for SNAP. They will utilize those funds to make partial payments for SNAP in November, but the federal government says the $6 billion in contingency funds are not sufficient to cover full payments, and they are declining to use a discretionary fund that could ensure full benefits for November.
Because of logistical delays, there will be a gap before households receive SNAP benefits. During this time, nonprofit food banks, food pantries, and other organizations will continue to step up to help address urgent needs in their communities.
In response, the National Council of Nonprofits has issued a statement where they called the Administration’s compliance with the court order “an important first step, but not enough.” NCN President & CEO Diane Yentel urged federal officials to act swiftly to ensure full benefits, warning that “every delay or reduction in SNAP benefits pushes more people toward emergency assistance and places additional strain on the nonprofit sector.”
| Read the full NCN statement here |
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