Despite an announcement from the federal government Monday that it will use contingency funds to partially fund November SNAP benefits, approximately 145,000 Rhode Islanders remain in limbo, uncertain when or how much of those benefits will be deposited into their accounts.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday it would use approximately $5 billion in contingency funds to partially fund the food assistance program amid the government shutdown, but did not announce plans to cover the program’s full cost, estimated at between $8 million and $9 million for the month of November.
The noontime announcement came in response to a ruling by a Rhode Island federal judge last Friday ordering SNAP benefits be restored across the country. Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island ordered the federal government distribute SNAP payments in a case brought by several Rhode Island nonprofits and municipalities, as well as other agencies around the country. It was the second SNAP ruling last week after a federal judge in Boston ordered the administration to respond by Monday on whether it would restore SNAP funding…