When SNAP benefits will arrive is still in flux. Here's what communities are doing to fill the gap

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The Trump administration says it will restart the national food aid program known as SNAP using money from a Department of Agriculture contingency fund but will only pay out half the amount participants would normally receive.

In a court filing, officials said depleting that fund means "no funds will remain for new SNAP applicants certified in November, disaster assistance, or as a cushion against the potential catastrophic consequences of shutting down SNAP entirely."

Starting Nov. 1, SNAP benefits did not hit accounts as expected after the USDA, which administers SNAP, froze funding, citing the federal government shutdown. The shutdown is now in its 35th day.

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It is unclear when low-income families who depend on SNAP will receive these partial funds. The Trump administration said it anticipates long delays — "anywhere from a few weeks to up to several months" — before benefits arrive in the hands of registered SNAP recipients.

Last week, two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to use emergency funding to provide SNAP benefits for the 42 million people who rely on the program to feed their families. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston ruled the Trump administration has until Monday to decide whether to pay at least partial SNAP food benefits but did not issue a temporary restraining order. In Rhode Island, U.S. District Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. granted a temporary restraining order and said the Trump administration must submit a plan on how it would comply with his order, or "at least an update," by noon on Monday, Ocean State Media reported. Both judges were appointed by former President Barack Obama.

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SNAP, the country's largest anti-hunger program, dates back to the Great Depression and has never been disrupted this way. Most recipients are seniors, families with kids and people with disabilities.

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Food banks are stretched thin

In the few days since SNAP funding elapsed, food banks across the country have experienced a surge of people in need of their services, leading to long lines and widespread worries about how they will meet the escalating demand in the coming weeks. Some food bank administrators warn that it may soon amount to a public health crisis .

Small grocery stores , local farmers , and other retailers authorized to accept SNAP benefits are also bracing for changes as many of their usual customers are without the means to pay for food this month.

Some local communities have set up informal systems to support their neighbors in need of food assistance. In several cities, food banks have collaborated with government officials to connect residents with food resources. Others put out calls for volunteers to support their work.

While many food banks have previously dealt with difficult situations like natural disasters that strained their operations, the scale of this nationwide shutdown represents an unprecedented national food crisis . Senior citizens may be disproportionately impacted.

— Anusha Mathur , NPR

Read more: 'The helpers need help'. Food banks brace for impact as SNAP cliff looms

Reporters from the NPR Network are covering the uncertainty and lapse in benefits in states across the country.

Here's what we know so far.

State-specific impacts:

Alabama

Roughly 749,000 people are enrolled in SNAP in Alabama, according to the USDA.

are enrolled in SNAP in Alabama, according to the USDA. In 2024, SNAP assistance reached 15% of the state population (1 in 7 people).

(1 in 7 people). Alabama's Department of Human Resources (DHR), the agency responsible for SNAP in the state, says on its website that individuals can still apply for SNAP benefits during the suspension and DHR will continue to process applications and determine eligibility. Benefits will not be issued until the suspension is lifted.

individuals can still apply for SNAP benefits during the suspension and DHR will continue to process applications and determine eligibility. Benefits will not be issued until the suspension is lifted. Current SNAP recipients, however, "must continue to recertify their benefits, report as they normally would, and submit all documentation that would normally be required for them to continue in the program," DHR says. This is necessary so that each SNAP recipient can more quickly use their November funds in the grocery stores.

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Alaska

Roughly 66,000 people are enrolled in SNAP in Alaska, according to the USDA.

are enrolled in SNAP in Alaska, according to the USDA.

The Alaska Department of Health said on Oct. 31 that it had not received funding for November's SNAP benefits [ Alaska Public Media ]

] Officials say the division will continue adding SNAP beneficiaries during the shutdown and Alaskans who lost food because of Typhoon Halong in western Alaska can apply to get October SNAP benefits re-issued. Michelle DeWitt, executive director of Bethel Community Services Foundation, said the state's formal food security safety nets are already stretched thin in the wake of the early October storm. [ Alaska Public Media ]

] Sen. Lisa Murkowski told NPR's Scott Detrow that she hopes that contingency funding can be used to help pay out SNAP benefits, particularly for those impacted by Typhoon Halong. "I have seen different statements indicating that these contingency funds need to be reserved for disasters," she said on Friday. "For those SNAP recipients in Alaska who have suffered this disaster, yeah, we want to make sure that they have some level of assistance or relief there."

Arizona

More than 887,000 people are enrolled in SNAP in Arizona, according to the USDA.

are enrolled in SNAP in Arizona, according to the USDA. Indigenous communities, including the Navajo and Cherokee Nations have been hit particularly hard. A third of Navajo households depend on SNAP. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. declared a state of emergency "due to this federally imposed food crisis." [ KJZZ ]

] The Arizona Department of Economic Security, which administers SNAP in the state, is directing Arizona SNAP recipients to local food banks if they need immediate food assistance. Food banks in Arizona can be found through the Arizona Food Bank Network . [ KJZZ ]

Arkansas

Roughly 236,000 people are enrolled in SNAP in Arkansas, according to the USDA.

are enrolled in SNAP in Arkansas, according to the USDA.