Supreme Court Extends Pause on Full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Payments as Government Shutdown Nears Resolution

Updated 12 November 2025 10:43 AM

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Supreme Court Extends Pause on Full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Payments as Government Shutdown Nears Resolution

Washington, Nov 12 (AP) The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended an order blocking full SNAP payments, amid signals that the government shutdown could soon end and food aid payments resume.

The order keeps in place at least for a few more days a chaotic situation. People who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to feed their families in some states have received their full monthly allocations, while others have received nothing.

The Senate has approved a bill to end the shutdown and the House of Representatives could vote on it as early as Wednesday. Reopening the government would restart the program that helps 42 million Americans buy groceries, but it's not clear how quickly full payments would resume.

The justices chose what is effectively the path of least resistance, anticipating the shutdown will end soon while avoiding any substantive legal ruling about whether lower court orders to keep full payments flowing during the shutdown are correct. 

This report includes content sourced from Press Trust of India (PTI), edited for clarity and context.

Tags: SNAP , USDA ,government shutdown 2025 , food assistance,U.S, Supreme Court, public benefits , federal policy , social safety net