THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION will cover 50 percent of eligible households’ current allotments of food assistance by tapping into contingency funds, following Friday court rulings ordering the government to act to restore benefits.
A filing in a Rhode Island US District Court from Trump administration Deputy Undersecretary for Food Nutrition and Consumer Services Patrick Penn says, “Per orders issued by the United States District Courts for the Districts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, FNS intends to deplete SNAP contingency funds completely and provide reduced SNAP benefits for November 2025.”
The Trump administration faced a Monday deadline to tell federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts whether it would tap contingency funds to keep the SNAP program running. The court orders came as food assistance for roughly 42 million Americans, including more than one million in Massachusetts, lapsed over the weekend amid the ongoing government shutdown.
According to the filing from Penn, Food and Nutrition Service had $6 billion in SNAP contingency funds at the beginning of fiscal year 2026. In October 2025, the agency used $450 million to fund state agency expenses, and an additional $300 million for grants for Puerto Rico and American Samoa.
“The above will leave a total of $4.65 billion in the contingency fund for November SNAP benefits that will all be obligated to cover 50 percent of eligible households’ current allotments. This means that no funds will remain for new SNAP applicants certified in November, disaster assistance, or as a cushion against the potential catastrophic consequences of shutting down SNAP entirely,” Penn wrote.
In his Friday ruling, US District Court Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island gave the Trump administration until noon on Monday to report to the court on “what it will do to comply” with his order to use the contingency fund to pay for suspended SNAP benefits.
In a Boston federal court, US District Judge Indira Talwani also ordered the US Department of Agriculture to report by Monday whether it will use contingency funds to pay November benefits in full or partially.