The Trump administration asked a federal appeals court on Friday to block a judge’s order that it distribute November’s full monthly food stamp benefits amid a US federal government shutdown, even as at least some states said they were moving quickly to get the money to people.
US district judge John J McConnell Jr had given the Trump administration until Friday to make the payments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), after the administration said last month that it would not pay benefits for November because of the shutdown.
But the Trump administration asked the appeals court to suspend any court orders requiring it to spend more money than is available in a contingency fund.
The court filing came even as Britt Cudaback, the spokesperson for Wisconsin’s governor, Tony Evers, said on Friday that some Snap recipients in the state already had received their full November payments overnight on Thursday.
“We’ve received confirmation that payments went through, including members reporting they can now see their balances,” she said.
The court-wrangling prolonged weeks of uncertainty for the food program that serves about one in eight Americans, mostly with lower incomes.
Last week, in separate rulings, two judges ordered the government to pay at least part of the benefits using an emergency fund. It initially said it would cover half, but later said it would cover 65%.
