Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Friday that his administration is taking quick action to immediately issue November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to Pennsylvanians who have missed a payment, consistent with a federal court’s ruling Thursday requiring the Trump administration to release 100 percent of SNAP funds for all recipients nationwide.
As of Friday afternoon, those payments were already being processed and loaded onto Pennsylvanians’ electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards. So far, approximately $100 million worth of benefits have been sent to Pennsylvania’s SNAP vendor — and benefits are actively being loaded onto EBT cards.
“Despite the daily chaos and confusion from the Trump Administration around SNAP, my administration is working quickly to get payments moving for nearly 2 million families, seniors, and children who rely on SNAP to help put food on the table,” Shapiro said in Philadelphia. “Our work is not done here: we will continue doing everything we can to protect access to food for Pennsylvanians.”
SNAP benefits are issued to eligible Pennsylvanians over the first 10 business days of the month. As of Friday evening, the Shapiro administration expects to have issued benefits to Pennsylvanians who would usually receive them during the first seven days of the month.
“I want to thank our food banks, food pantries, and every Pennsylvanian who has stepped up in some way to support our neighbors and communities. I am relieved we can issue November benefits, but there is still more work to do to ensure stability for December and beyond,” said DHS Secretary Val Arkoosh.
Meanwhile Friday, residents in other states also began to receive their full SNAP food aid as an appeals court left in place, for now, an order requiring the Trump administration to fund such benefits amid a U.S. government shutdown.
A judge had given the Republican administration until Friday to make the payments. But the administration asked the appeals court to suspend any court orders requiring it to spend more money than is available in a contingency fund, and instead allow it to continue with planned partial SNAP payments for the month.
After the appeals court declined to do so, the Trump administration quickly asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up its request. That was still pending on Friday night.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Source: Berkshire mont