The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) ran out of funds on November 1. SNAP provides food purchasing assistance to low-income families in communities across America and is the largest nutrition assistance program in the nation with an average of 41.7 million participants a month in FY 2024.[1]
The Trump Administration could fund the SNAP program through November using the SNAP Contingency Fund and other money available through the Child Nutrition Program.
The Trump Administration did not release the funds, so multiple organizations, states attorneys general, and governors sued the Trump Administration. Judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts ordered the Administration to release the contingency funds to cover SNAP benefits in November.
The Trump Administration told the judge on November 3 that it would be able to release half of the funds needed for SNAP benefits. On November 4, in a Truth Social post, President Trump indicated that he would not release the funds until the government shutdown ended.
NASW has tirelessly advocated for funding of SNAP benefits. In October, NASW sent a letter, signed by over 6,600 social workers, to President Trump, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, and Congressional leaders urging them to cover SNAP benefits. A Press Release about the letter can be found on the NASW website.
NASW continues to work with coalition partners to urge the Trump Administration to do the right thing and provide food assistance to those in need.