SNAP benefits tussle heats up: Trump administration renews appeal in Supreme Court to stop benefits for millions as several US states continue to receive funding amid govt shutdown; check list of states and how much amount they are eligible for

The tug of war over Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits between the Trump administration and federal court continued on Monday (November 11, 2025) after the federal government returned to the Supreme Court on Monday in a push to keep full payments in the SNAP federal food aid program frozen while the government is shut down.

This comes after a federal appeals court upheld an order on Friday (November 7, 2025) requiring the Trump administration to provide the full amount of SNAP benefits and food assistance payments for November. Numerous payments were distributed—and then the Supreme Court issued a stay. The renewed appeal by the Trump administration in the top court comes as some families struggled to put food on the table.

Which states started receiving SNAP payments

Several states including California began receiving their full SNAP food assistance payments on Friday (November 7, 2025) after an appeals court refused to temporarily overturn an order requiring the Trump administration to fund the benefits during a federal government shutdown. “Food benefits are now starting to flow back to California families,” Governor Gavin Newsom said, as quoted by Futbolete.

Patrick Penn, assistant secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services at the Department of Agriculture, in a memo issued on Friday (November 7, 2025), informed each SNAP regional director that the administration would “complete the necessary processes” so they could issue full SNAP benefits “later today,” according to Futbolete

California had joined a group of 22 states in filing the central lawsuit in the case, alleging that the administration’s refusal to pay SNAP benefits—called CalFresh in California—during the federal government shutdown was unlawful.

Officials in California and five other states confirmed to The Associated Press that some SNAP recipients received their full November payments on Friday. ABC 7 News reported that some Bay Area residents were among them. In addition, California, Wisconsin, Oregon, Kansas, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania said they acted quickly to issue full SNAP benefits on Friday. On the other hand, other states indicated they expected full benefits to arrive over the weekend or early the following week.

Maximum SNAP payments sent in November

The maximum (SNAP) payments distributed in November vary based on household size. A single-person household is eligible for up to $298 per month, while a two-person household can receive a maximum of $546.

For three people, the amount increases to $785, and a four-person household may receive up to $994. Larger families qualify for higher benefits, with five-person households eligible for $1,183, six-person households for $1,421, seven-person households for $1,571, and eight-person households for up to $1,789 in monthly SNAP assistance.

These amounts represent the maximum benefit; the actual amount is based on household income and expenses. An amount of $218 per additional person will be provided for households with more than 8 members.

These amounts apply to the 48 contiguous states, including California. There are no variations for Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, or Virgin Islands. The benefit is calculated by subtracting the household’s net income from the maximum amount.

Trump administration renews appeal

Trump’s administration returned to the Supreme Court in a push to keep full payments in the SNAP federal food aid program frozen while the government is shut down. Lower courts have ruled that the government must keep full payments flowing, but the Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to keep them frozen for now. The high court is expected to rule Tuesday.

The seesawing rulings so far have created a situation where beneficiaries in some states, including Hawaii and New Jersey, have received their full monthly allocations and those in others, such as Nebraska and West Virginia, have seen nothing.

Why is the Trump administration pushing to temporarily halt SNAP funding?

The Trump administration argued that lower court orders requiring the full funding of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program wrongly affect ongoing negotiations in Congress about ending the shutdown. Supreme Court Solicitor General D. John Sauer called the funding lapse tragic, but said judges shouldn't be deciding how to handle it. Congress is considering a compromise funding package that would refill SNAP funds.


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Trump’s administration initially said SNAP benefits would not be available in November because of the shutdown. After some states and nonprofit groups sued, judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled the administration could not skip November’s benefits entirely.

Some states were quick enough to direct their EBT vendors to disburse full monthly benefits to SNAP recipients. Millions of people in at least a dozen states, with all with Democratic governors, received the full amount to buy groceries before Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson put McConnell’s order on hold Friday night, pending further deliberation by an appeals court.