SNAP funding delay: Here’s the latest on November benefits and how the Philly region is impacted

Some Pennsylvanians will see Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits restored as soon as Friday night.

SNAP payments were halted Nov. 1 amid the federal government shutdown, a first since the program’s inception in 1964. Now, about $100 million in benefits is being disseminated to recipients after a federal judge ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to fully fund the food assistance program for November.

Though the administration promptly appealed the decision, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has told states it is working to comply with the federal order.

Here’s what to know about the latest SNAP developments, how the Philadelphia area is affected and how local lawmakers are responding.

How did we get here?

The White House had previously pledged to partially fund SNAP after a pair of judges’ rulings required it to keep the program running.

The Trump administration had argued that the funds were “not legally available to cover regular benefits, a departure from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s shutdown lapse plan, which says “Congressional intent is evident that SNAP’s operations should continue” in the event of a shutdown.

More than two dozen states sued the Trump administration over its refusal to fund food stamps during the shutdown. Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro were among those who signed onto the lawsuit.

How many people rely on SNAP in the Philadelphia region?

SNAP provides food assistance for 42 million people across the U.S.  About 1 in 8 Americans rely on the program. Among them are 2 million people in Pennsylvania, including more than 713,000 children and 697,000 older adults.

Philadelphia is home to nearly 472,000 SNAP recipients, or roughly 30% of the city’s population.

Across the city and its collar counties, nearly 685,000 residents are SNAP enrollees, or about 16% of the area’s population.

Delaware County sees the highest percentage of SNAP recipients among Philly’s suburbs, with roughly 75,000 enrollees (13%), compared with more than 46,000 and nearly 63,000 in Bucks and Montgomery counties, respectively (7% each) and over 29,000 in Chester County (5%).

Nationwide, nearly 70% of SNAP recipients are children, older adults or people with a disability, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

How are food banks being impacted?

In Pennsylvania, the delay in SNAP benefits is occurring against the backdrop of a state budget impasse, separate federal cuts and new SNAP work requirements.

The commonwealth’s budget — which is 130 days past due as of Nov. 7 — stalled millions in aid from going to food banks, and such organizations had already been feeling the strain before the federal government shutdown.

The massive tax and spending bill passed by Congress in July included major cuts to SNAP.

The legislation extended Trump’s 2017 multitrillion-dollar tax cuts and cut Medicaid and food stamps by $1.2 trillion.

The so-called “big, beautiful bill” also included new work requirements for SNAP. Adult recipients under 55 who don’t have children must now prove they work or volunteer at least 20 hours a week. In November, veterans and people between the ages of 55 and 64 must also comply with the change.

SNAP eligibility was also removed for some immigrants, including refugees.

Up to 144,000 Pennsylvanians and up to 45,000 Philadelphians risk losing access to SNAP as a result of the new requirements, according to the state.

“We’re worried that many people may lose access to SNAP not because they’re no longer eligible, but because they don’t get the correct piece of paper in and processed at the right time,” Lydia Gottesfeld, an attorney at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, previously told WHYY News.

Separately, the ongoing government shutdown has left more than 66,000 federal workers in the state without pay.

A surge in demand due to paused SNAP benefits and shutdown furloughs will likely exacerbate existing pressure on local food banks.

Share Food Program, which serves the Greater Philadelphia region, cut its budget by 20% this year because of the state budget impasse, executive director George Matysik told The Associated Press.

“Any time we have a crisis,” he said, “it’s always the working class that feels the pain first.”

How are Philadelphia and Pennsylvania officials responding to the SNAP funding delay?

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has launched the “One Philly (SNAP) Support Plan,” allocating $7 million as part of a $14 million regional effort to support residents affected by these “unprecedented conditions,” as the mayor’s office described them.

Under the plan, $4 million will assist food distribution partners, $1.5 million in emergency rental assistance is earmarked toward supporting furloughed federal workers at risk of eviction, and $1 million in reallocated funds will support vulnerable families with food assistance, among other efforts.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has issued a disaster declaration, expediting the delivery of $5 million to food pantries.

The state will distribute funds from the Pennsylvania Emergency Food Assistance Program, Shapiro said, and reallocate reserves from the state Department of Agriculture to help food banks purchase and distribute more food.

In the state Senate, Democratic lawmakers are pushing for $60 million in emergency aid for food banks and Meals on Wheels programs (S.B. 1080).

In the House of Representatives, Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan (PA-08) has introduced a bill (H.R. 5836) aimed at keeping the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children program funded.

WHYY News’ Zoë Read, WITF’s Jaxon White and The Associated Press contributed reporting.