NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Recipients of SNAP benefits learned Monday that they will get partial food assistance in the month of November, as the government shutdown approaches a historic milestone.
Two separate federal judges ruled that the Trump administration must use contingency funds to pay November SNAP benefits during the ongoing government shutdown, which, as of Monday, reached 34 days.
The contingency account belonging to the U.S. Department of Agriculture contains enough money to pay approximately half of what SNAP recipients typically receive, according to court documents.
"It's $188 on average per month. And if you get half of that, that's not a lot of money," said Signe Anderson, the Senior Director of Nutritional Advocacy with the Tennessee Justice Center.
Anderson emphasized the critical nature of food assistance for working families in the community. "Most of the people on SNAP are the people who clean our hotels, who serve us at the grocery checkout," Anderson said.
The reduced benefits present significant challenges for families already operating on tight budgets.
"Families live on razor-thin margins when they participate in the SNAP program. Even a day's delay could set a family back months or even a year," Anderson said.
State governments will now be responsible for distributing the partial SNAP benefits through EBT cards.
While some states with outdated systems could face delays of weeks or months, Tennessee may be better positioned due to recent system upgrades.
"States are familiar with this process, they do it every month," Anderson said. "Tennessee recently updated their systems, so we have advanced in the last couple of years."
"This is an emergency"
The Tennessee Justice Center is also advocating for state lawmakers to use emergency funding to cover the remaining 50% of SNAP benefits for recipients.
"In emergency situations, the state has been able to tap into funding to support families, and I would say this is an emergency," Anderson said.
Republican state lawmakers have previously been hesitant to provide such funding without federal reimbursement guarantees.
However, advocates argue the current situation warrants immediate action. "It's expensive to buy milk, it's expensive to buy eggs," Anderson said.
The Tennessee Department of Human Services has not yet provided a timeline for processing the partial SNAP benefits, with officials indicating more information may be available Tuesday.
In the meantime, if you are in need of food assistance, use this tool from Second Harvest Food Bank to find resources near you.
Do you have additional information on this story? Email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
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