When will SNAP payments resume now that the government shutdown has ended?

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FILE - A shopper at a grocery store in Dayton, Ohio, US, on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. (Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - The government shutdown has officially ended after President Donald Trump signed the stopgap bill on Wednesday evening, which means SNAP payments should resume. 

Some people who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to feed their families were dealt a blow this month when benefits were not paid in full.

The program, managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), helps 42 million Americans buy groceries.

House passes vote to end ongoing government shutdown

The House has now voted on legislation to end the longest government shutdown in the nation's history. This comes after a bipartisan deal to end the shutdown advanced through the House Rules Committee overnight. Speaker Mike Johnson spoke just before voting began in the House. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill by the end of the evening. LiveNOW’s Mike Pache is taking a look at all the action from the House floor with political analyst, Brian Sobel.

When will SNAP payments resume?

What we know:

The newly signed legislation extends funding for SNAP through the end of Fiscal Year 2026.

The USDA told states Tuesday that it would reimburse them for paying out partial SNAP benefits under a system where recipients get up to 65% of their regular allocations — and even states that paid the full amount can receive partial reimbursements. It also said it would not reduce the amount on cards for recipients in states that paid full amounts.

A spokesperson for the USDA said in an email Wednesday that funds could be available "upon the government reopening, within 24 hours for most states."

What we don't know:

The department didn’t immediately answer questions about where it might take longer — or whether the 24-hour timeline applies to when money would be available to states or loaded onto debit cards used by beneficiaries.

It will vary from state to state on how soon SNAP beneficiaries will see funds on their prepaid SNAP cards.

Government shutdown and SNAP benefits

The backstory:

The USDA said last month that it would not pay benefits at all for November because of the federal shutdown and no available funding. Several states filed a lawsuit and a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to find the money to fully fund SNAP benefits for November.

The Trump administration turned to the Supreme Court who extended an order blocking full SNAP payments, amid signals that the government shutdown could soon end and food aid payments resume.

At least 19 states plus the District of Columbia issued full benefits to at least some recipients last week, an Associated Press tally found. Many of them managed to do it in a day or so.