🔗 Share this article

America's top court has granted an emergency order that permits for now the Trump administration to delay billions of dollars for nutrition assistance used by millions of low-income Americans.

Administration officials sought relief from the country's highest court after a lower court ruled that the SNAP program, called food aid, should be distributed completely to beneficiaries by Friday.

This assistance has been caught in uncertainty by the continuing budget impasse, with the government arguing it could only afford to partially fund it.

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

SNAP's Reach

This nutrition aid is issued by 42 million Americans - approximately 12% - and costs almost $9bn a each month.

Earlier this week, a federal magistrate, the presiding judge, accused the government of blocking nutrition funds "for political reasons" and said that without the assistance "16 million children are in danger of facing hunger".

The judge mandated the administration to fund the programme in full.

Court Proceedings

This decision came after that required the administration to use contingency funds to at least partially fund the programme for last month.

This court battle was triggered after the USDA, which manages the Snap programme, stated payments would be halted in November due to the lack of funding over the budget crisis.

Prior to the high court's action, the Agriculture Department said it was attempting to follow with the various court orders and was taking steps to doll out the complete amount.

Supreme Court Action

High Court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson issued the order late Friday, known as an administrative stay, effectively freezing the previous decision for 48 hours while federal attorneys pursue an appeal.

This dispute over food aid funding has become among the most contentious of what is now the lengthiest budget standoff in American history.

Wider Effects

Government workers have been without pay for over 30 days and flight operations has been thrown into chaos as Congress members fail to agree a compromise to pass a budget.

Some states have used their own financial reserves to keep food benefits flowing, which are valued at around $6 to recipients via electronic benefit cards which can be used in grocery stores.

However, certain states have said they are cannot cover the money which has been cut by the federal government.