SNAP recipients will get partial funds this month, as political infighting and misinformation swirl

The Trump administration said it will partially fund the SNAP food assistance program, also known as food stamps. The threat of a lapse has incited chaos on social media and at food banks.

After foodbanks and SNAP recipients spent weeks bracing for a suspension of federal food assistance, the benefits appeared to be partially salvaged on Monday. But the disruption is already wreaking havoc on the normally steadfast program.

The Trump administration on Monday agreed to partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, after two court cases challenged the lapse in benefits. The administration said in a court filing that it will use $4.65 billion in contingency funds to cover about half of eligible households’ benefits this month. Beyond that, however, benefits are expected to run dry.

It’s the first time SNAP recipients will go without some of their benefits during a government shutdown. Funding for the program was supposed to renew on Saturday, so many people have already gone days without the money they were expecting. It’s still unclear exactly how soon electronic benefits cards will be reloaded — the process of getting money loaded onto the cards often takes states a week or more — and families don’t yet know the exact amounts they will receive.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a social media post Monday night that it "will take several weeks to execute partial payments." She added that when the government reopens, “FULL benefits can get to families without delay.”

For many, the SNAP suspension was one of the most feared outcomes of the shutdown: The prospect of losing grocery funds incited panic last week among many recipients, who lined up at food banks and began rationing what was left in their pantries. Politicians pointed fingers, with some state leaders scraping together emergency funds to fill the immense gaps. Misinformation swirled online, featuring racist tropes and fake videos.