Update as of November 10, 2025: Over the past few days, multiple court rulings and Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidance documents have altered the status of November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits:
- Friday night (November 7), an appeals court denied the administration’s request for a stay, directing it to pay full November SNAP benefits.
- Later that same night, the Supreme Court granted the administration’s request for a stay, directing the appeals court to reconsider its ruling. This effectively halted full November SNAP benefit issuance. In the Supreme Court’s order, it stated that the stay would remain in place until 48 hours after the appeals court issued another ruling.
- On Saturday (November 8), USDA released a memo ordering states to “immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025” and continue processing and loading partial SNAP benefits that reflect the 65% allotments detailed in its November 5 guidance.
- Late Sunday night (November 9), the appeals court again denied the administration’s request for a stay. Because of the Supreme Court’s order, the administration would not have to provide full benefits until Tuesday night (48 hours after the appeals court’s ruling).
- Monday morning (November 10), the Supreme Court directed the administration to notify the court of its intent to continue seeking a stay by 11:00 a.m. and for the appeals court to respond by 8:00 a.m. tomorrow (November 11). The administration has done so.
The entire matter may become moot if a Continuing Resolution (CR) is enacted in short order.
Original Publication Summary: Following a series of court rulings and conflicting guidance over the course of the past two weeks, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has stated that it will issue full November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits. In its updated guidance to states, FNS states it “is working towards implementing November 2025 full benefit issuances in compliance with the November 6, 2025, order from the District Court of Rhode Island. Later today, FNS will complete the processes necessary to make funds available to support your subsequent transmittal of full issuance files to your EBT processor.” While FNS has promised to issue November SNAP benefits, several uncertainties remain.