Texans had their November SNAP benefits restored on Friday after two weeks of uncertainty about food assistance.
The USDA on Thursday ordered states to take immediate steps to ensure households receive their full November allotments promptly and no reductions were in effect.
According to updated HHSC guidance, SNAP clients who already received partial benefits will receive the rest of the monthly amount after Nov. 14. For those receiving benefits on or after Nov. 14, full benefits will be issued on their normal date. The move comes after President Trump signed a budget bill to reopen the federal government, ending the longest shutdown in the country’s history and the only time benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have paused since the program was created in 1964.
The bill funds SNAP through September 2026, while budgets for other programs will expire in January.
The USDA announced the SNAP benefits pause in October. All but 12 states stepped in to offer food assistance, including by funding food banks and providing direct financial aid to their SNAP beneficiaries.
Several court rulings ordered the Trump administration to tap emergency funds to support the program, and he finally agreed to use $4.65 billion to partially fund it. Some Texans got up to 65% of their typical monthly payments starting Monday. The Friday release of full benefits ends weeks of uncertainty about if and when 3.5 million Texans, would get food assistance. Texas food banks reported long lines as SNAP enrollees and federal workers stretched their budgets and prepared for the delay to continue.