The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP benefits) is a fundamental social assistance mechanism administered by the United States federal government, but operated at the state and local levels. Its main objective is to provide food support to low-income or no-income households, guaranteeing access to basic foods for vulnerable populations.
In 2023, the program served an average of 42.1 million people monthly, representing approximately 12.6% of the US population. Given its scale and scope, any change in its financing or administration has significant implications on both a social and technical level.
Did Trump freeze SNAP benefits? Yes and no
Recently, President Donald Trump’s administration issued a memorandum through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ordering a freeze on federal loans and grants. This memo, written by Matthew J. Vaeth, acting director of the OMB, directed federal agencies to identify and review financial assistance programs that were aligned with the president’s policies.
However, the wording of the document created confusion among the program’s millions of beneficiaries and advocates about whether SNAP funds, commonly known as “food stamps,” would be subject to this freeze.
From a technical standpoint, the memo specified that the freeze did not apply to assistance provided directly to individuals. This distinction is critical, since SNAP benefits fall into this category.
In addition, administration officials confirmed to media platforms such as Reuters and other news agencies that both SNAP and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) would not be affected by the measure.
This is because these programs are classified as direct assistance and not as grants or loans subject to review under the memorandum.
SNAP and other benefits are active again after court decision
However, the situation became complicated when a district judge temporarily suspended the freezing order until early February. This court decision added uncertainty about the status of federal funds, including those destined for social programs.
Although SNAP was not directly at risk according to the memo, the suspension of the freeze raised concern among the program’s beneficiaries and administrators, who depend on the continued flow of federal funds for its operation.
At a legal level, the SNAP is a mandatory funding program, meaning its funds are guaranteed by law and are not subject to annual congressional appropriations or whimsical decisions by the president of the day.
This differentiates it from other discretionary programs that can be affected by executive orders or presidential decisions. However, confusion arose due to the breadth of language used in the memo, which did not clearly specify the exclusion of programs like SNAP from the beginning.
SNAP benefit payments are about to restart in February
SNAP payments are not issued on a single date to all recipients, but are distributed throughout the month according to a schedule established by each state. Some make payments in a couple of days and other states, such as Texas or Florida, take up to 28 days to distribute the funds to the millions of beneficiaries.
It is time to prepare for the arrival of the funds, after the judicial setback that Trump had and the victory for the most vulnerable American households, which depend on this allocation to make ends meet.