Food assistance stops for half a million Kentuckians as White House faces funding deadline

Over the weekend, a federal judge gave President Donald Trump until Monday at noon to respond to a ruling that requires the release of SNAP funding.

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UPDATE 12:24 pm EST: The U.S. Department of Agriculture told a federal court that it will tap into a contingency fund to allow states to issue partial November benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during the government shutdown.

Here's how that will work:

-The USDA will be notifying states today about the partial funding

-It will be up to states to calculate the benefits each family will receive (it will be less than a normal month)

-Once states determine the adjusted allotments, those numbers will be sent to the EBT processors to reload cards

The court document suggests some states have very old systems that won't be able to calculate the changes automatically, which could lead to payment errors or significant delays.

After using this money, "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," according to court documents.

ORIGINAL STORY:

A federal judge is awaiting a response from the White House on Monday morning as millions of Americans go without their November SNAP benefits.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to make a full SNAP payment by the end of the day Monday or a partial payment by Wednesday.

The ruling came after multiple state leaders, including Governor Andy Beshear filed a lawsuit trying to force the Department of Agriculture to use contingency funds to keep the program operating as the government shutdown continues.

In response to the lawsuit, White House staff said that contingency funds were "not legally available" and were reserved for natural disasters.

Over the weekend, President Trump told reporters he would follow the judge's order to make the funding available for SNAP, once the judge provided further guidance on how to do that.

Judge McConnell wrote in the ruling, “There is no question that the congressionally approved contingency funds must be used now..."

He ordered the administration to report by noon Monday how the plan to "comply with this Court's Order."

What does this mean for Kentucky?

On Friday, Governor Andy Beshear signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency and directing an initial $5 million from the budget reserve trust fund to Feeding Kentucky food banks.

“While the Trump administration said it couldn’t fund SNAP during the shutdown, two federal judges just said it can and should,” said Gov. Beshear. 

According to the executive order, the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management has been asked to work with the Office of the State Budget Director to identify, allocate, and transfer funds. The money will then be given to Feeding Kentucky, which has a network of seven food banks that can provide food to Kentuckians in all 120 counties.

How can you help?

On a local level, the most effective way to help people who may lose access to food stamps is to donate money to credible organizations like Dare to Care. James said, while his organization is not turning down food or volunteers, they are equipped to do a lot with a little when it comes to cash.

For example, you will spend $1.09 in the grocery store on one can of soup. But Dare to Care can feed two people with your $1 donation.

You can donate here. If you or someone you know needs help finding access to food, you can find a list of Dare to Care partners here.

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