Full SNAP benefits have been issued to all recipients in Pennsylvania as of Friday morning, the state’s Department of Human Services said.
The restoration of benefits follows Wednesday's end to the country’s longest ever federal government shutdown.
President Donald Trump signed a bill Wednesday to fund the government through the end of January, and DHS started issuing full November payments to SNAP recipients on Thursday, with $276 million disbursed that day.
“DHS staff was working tirelessly during the shutdown to make sure we were ready to get benefits out to Pennsylvanians as soon as funding was authorized," DHS Secretary Val Arkoosh said.
"Once the federal shutdown ended, the DHS staff mobilized immediately to get these essential benefits out to SNAP recipients whose food assistance was disrupted by inaction from federal leadership, and I am grateful to say that because of this quick work, all unpaid November SNAP payments should now be on cards ready to be spent on food and groceries,” Arkoosh said.
Legal battle over funding SNAP
The payments come after a lengthy legal battle. The U.S. Department of Agriculture notified states in October that it would not fund SNAP for November if the government shutdown continued.
Gov. Josh Shapiro joined other Democratic attorneys general and governors to sue the Trump administration. The lawsuit challenged USDA’s decision not to pull from a $6 billion contingency fund to continue paying for SNAP through the shutdown.
Federal judges ruled in favor of the states, requiring the administration to fully fund SNAP. The Trump administration appealed the rulings several times. The Supreme Court then allowed the administration to pause the payments, after Pennsylvania had already paid $70 million to recipients.
Food banks said filling in the gaps for a SNAP pause would not be sustainable long-term. Shapiro signed a declaration of disaster emergency at the end of October, creating the SNAP Emergency Relief Fund which immediately gave $5 million to the state’s charitable food network to support the state’s food banks. He began a fundraising campaign, adding more than $2 million to the relief fund.
The state’s new budget, also passed this week after more than a four-month impasse, includes $11 million to support food security programs, including $2 million for a new State Food Bucks program that supplements SNAP.
For her part, Arkoosh urged residents to support organizations that helped people affected by the SNAP delays, as their efforts to assist people affected by food insecurity continue year round.
“As we return to normal processes, I want to again thank our charitable food network for their work over the last month. If you are able to support to our charitable food network as they stabilize and restock to continue their essential work, I encourage you to continue this support,” Arkoosh said.
