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The Trump administration announced Monday that it would fund up to 50% of food assistance benefits this month, changing course after states sued the federal government over shutdown threats to the aid.
For millions of Americans, including more than 900,000 people in Washington, who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the move means that they will get up to half of their monthly allotments. The announcement follows two rulings issued Friday, directing the federal government to keep SNAP afloat using contingency funds.
Something's better than nothing, but it's going to be rough," said Amy Roark, a single mother who lives in Vancouver, Wash., with two of her children. The family receives typically $742 per month, which is their entire food budget. "It's going to be hard."
Partial benefits translate to a significant reduction in grocery money for people on SNAP. In Washington, more than 531,000 households received over $167 million in benefits in May 2025, the most recent month for which data is available.
On Monday morning, Roark waited 45 minutes in line to get groceries from a local food bank, picking up beans, rice, canned fruit and vegetables, apple sauce, cereal, peanut butter, potatoes, and onions. She also signed up for a free Thanksgiving food box.
Roark doesn't normally visit food banks, but wanted to stock up in case her benefits run out. She had around $25 on her Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, which normally gets replenished on the ninth of each month.
Antihunger groups, including food pantries, food banks, and meal delivery services, have seen demand rise over the past few days, driven by concern about SNAP cutoffs.
Prior to the Friday rulings, the state of Washington and the city of Seattle each announced millions of dollars in additional funding for local food banks, as part of an effort to cushion the impact of a SNAP cutoff.
Gov. Bob Ferguson announced that the state would direct nearly $2.2 million per week to support food banks, and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that the city would spend $1 million per week to do the same. The mayor also declared a civil emergency last week due to uncertainty over SNAP funding, which the Seattle City Council unanimously approved on Monday.
The governor's office transferred its first block of funding to local organizations on Monday, according to Communications Director Brionna Aho.
The partial SNAP funding announced on Monday means that the state will have to adjust its emergency assistance for food banks next week, Aho said. Exactly how assistance will be changed has yet to be determined.
For now, food banks anticipate receiving this week's assistance within a few days.
"The funds will allow food banks to meet demand," said Yamila Sterling, director of food access and education for Solid Ground. This nonprofit will distribute the funding it receives across 30 food pantries and programs in Seattle.
Across the Seattle area, residents and businesses are coming together to support their neighbors who rely on SNAP.
"We've been amazed, grateful for the outpouring of support from the community," said Cade Schmidt, director of communications for Hopelink, a nonprofit that operates five food markets across King County. The organization anticipates receiving $62,500, which it will distribute among its food markets and other local groups.
Food banks have faced rapidly rising food costs over the past few years. Schmidt said that people have been bringing food directly to Hopelink in recent days, donations that are immediately redistributed to families. But, he added, "nothing is as successful as having those EBT cards replenished.
The Trump administration said on Monday that contingency funds would be exhausted at the end of the month, meaning SNAP benefits could be cut off again if the shutdown continues into December.
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