Tens of thousands of Long Islanders who rely on SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, won’t be getting them on time or in full this month because of a lapse in funding caused by the ongoing federal government shutdown.
SNAP benefits, which have never lapsed before, were paused on Nov. 1 for the one in eight Americans who rely on roughly $8 billion in SNAP benefits monthly. Two federal judges ruled Friday that the Trump administration had to fund the program during the government shutdown. Court filings out of Rhode Island Monday said the Department of Agriculture will disburse its entire $4.65 billion SNAP contingency fund to support the program, covering only about half of each eligible household’s benefits for November.
