Jennifer Ludden

The legal wrangling over the country's largest anti-hunger program has kept millions of people who rely on it in limbo.

That could change soon as Congress votes on a deal to end the shutdown, which includes SNAP funding until next fall.

Restoring that will be a relief not only to recipients, but also the retail stores where they spend their SNAP dollars, and food pantries which have struggled to meet a surge in demand.

Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington.

After a court order to issue full SNAP payments late last week, some states rushed to get the benefits to people.

But when the Supreme Court then paused the order, the Agriculture Department said states must immediately undo those payments and threatened penalties.

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Plattkin says this makes no sense, especially given new moves to possibly end the shutdown.

A Trump administration attorney says states jumped the gun and should only send partial payments for now.

Once the shutdown does end, we'll issue full benefits in 24 hours, he told the judge.

Jennifer Lutton, NPR News, Washington.

A federal judge in Boston said the administration not only can but must use contingency funds to keep SNAP going.

She said it could also shift other money, but left it up to the administration to decide whether to do so.

The contingency funds fall short of SNAP's November budget, so the Trump administration may decide to issue only partial payments.

It has warned that would be logistically challenging and time-consuming.

The administration has until Monday to decide on a plan.

States and cities across the country are shifting their own money and stepping up food donations to help millions of low-income people get by despite this loss of food aid.

Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington.

The federal government usually sends SNAP funding to states well before the first of the month because it takes days to distribute it onto people's debit-like cards.

Now, there's an added complication.

The Agriculture Department's contingency money falls short of full SNAP funding for November.