Following the signing of a bill that ended the government shutdown, delayed SNAP benefits were reinstated on Nov. 10. Still, the delay surrounding the assistance program has left many individuals and organizations in financial burden and uncertainty. 

Through a set of court filings on Nov. 3, the Trump administration revealed plans to reduce SNAP benefits by nearly half. A federal judge quickly ruled against the decision on Nov. 6, ordering the administration to pay full benefits using emergency funds. The administration appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court the following day, causing further delays and preventing aid recipients from using and receiving their benefits, according to the New York Times.

“A fiscal conservative, such as members of the Trump administration, would argue to bring that government spending down, and [they] can do that by partially funding this service,” economics teacher Kathryn Beechinor said. “Whereas a federal judge, depending on their interpretation, might see this as a violation of a human right, therefore motivating them [to believe that] money is not something [lawmakers] should be focused on.”

The delay also led to an increased strain on food banks throughout the country. Local food banks were not exempt from the delay’s effects, with a noticeable surge in emergency volunteer opportunities by Irvine’s Second Harvest Food Bank, according to Cook4Change President and senior Haylee Trinh. 

“I get emails from Second Harvest because [Cook4Change] organizes a bunch of volunteer events, and they’ve already sent out a bunch of emails asking for emergency volunteers to help them transport goods and to help with more volunteer events,” Trinh said. “So, the delay in SNAP benefits definitely calls for more of these resources and for more action from nonprofit organizations.” 

A prolonged lapse in funding could also lead to reduced employee hours, cuts on perishable food, and declining sales as major supermarkets reportedly plan staffing and inventory around benefit cycles, according to USA TODAY. Independent grocers have also suffered significant financial losses due to a loss of customers, according to News4Jax.

“If there is an individual who utilizes SNAP benefits to purchase necessary items such as food, they’re unable to carry that transaction out, which means they’re not going to the store to purchase that food item,” Beechinor said.“So if they’re not going to the store, that store is not receiving that revenue that they would be collecting from SNAP benefits.”

Following the end of the government shutdown on Nov. 13, the Trump administration announced the following Monday that SNAP recipients must reapply to verify if their households still meet the eligibility requirements. While the reapplication process is intended to reduce fraudulent cases, it may inadvertently lead to longer delays for recipients needing support.