🔗 Share this article

The US Supreme Court has issued an emergency order that permits for now the federal government to withhold billions of dollars for food benefits used by millions of low-income Americans.

The White House sought relief from the country's highest court after a lower court ordered that the SNAP program, called food stamps, should be distributed in full to recipients by the end of the week.

The programme has been left in limbo by the continuing budget impasse, with the Trump administration claiming it could only afford to partially fund it.

Friday's ruling means £3.04bn can be held back for now until more court proceedings.

Programme Impact

This nutrition aid is used by tens of millions of U.S. citizens - around one in eight - and requires almost £6.9bn a month.

Earlier this week, a federal magistrate, John McConnell, alleged the government of withholding food aid "due to political motives" and said that without the assistance "16 million children are immediately at risk of going hungry".

The judge mandated the government to pay out the programme completely.

Court Proceedings

This decision came after that ordered the administration to use reserve money to at least partly pay for the assistance for November.

This court battle was spurred after the US Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Snap programme, stated payments would be stopped in the fall due to the budget shortfall over the shutdown.

Prior to the high court's action, the USDA said it was attempting to follow with the various court orders and was making efforts to doll out the complete amount.

High Court's Move

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued the stay late Friday, called an administrative stay, pausing the previous decision for two days while federal attorneys seek to overturn it.

The row over food aid funding has become among the most contentious of what is now the lengthiest budget standoff in US history.

Wider Effects

Federal employees have been without pay for more than a month and flight operations has been thrown into chaos as Congress members cannot reach a compromise to fund the government.

Some states have drawn on their own financial reserves to keep Snap payments flowing, which are worth around $6 to recipients via electronic benefit cards which can be redeemed in grocery stores.

However, certain states have said they are unable to replace the funding which has been lost from the U.S. treasury.