This week has brought nothing but chaos for SNAP recipients in North Carolina and across the country.
Despite confusion at the federal level amid rulings and appeals, the state released partial November payments to SNAP recipients in North Carolina on Friday morning, according to Attorney General Jeff Jackson.
Under this scenario most would have received about an average of half of their allotted funds, one week late. As of late Friday, however, the Trump administration had announced its intention to fully fund SNAP in response to a court order Thursday.
The same federal judge who mandated that partial funding ordered the Trump administration on Thursday to fund SNAP benefits in full by Friday. It appears the USDA is now complying, after a whirlwind of court orders, appeals and mixed messages.
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The administration quickly appealed that ruling, potentially delaying payments for the poorest families in the state. The White House has asked the court to act by 4 p.m. Friday. With no action by the court when that deadline passed, the administration posted an announcement that it was complying to the US Department of Agriculture website.
But that wasn’t the last bit of drama. After the appellate court announced it was not hearing granting the administration’s request for a stay, the White House said late Friday that it was asking the US Supreme Court to impose an emergency stay. The high court granted that temporary stay, which would appear to freeze the flow of the full federal funds again.
A great deal of uncertainty remains about what beneficiaries can actually bank on and when. For now, SNAP recipients are still without a full reload of funds for the month of November.
“This should never happen in America,” U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell said in the Thursday hearing.
Manna Foodbank, a major food relief organization in Western North Carolina, was already serving a record number of North Carolinians before the lapse in SNAP funding. Now, there is a crisis so pressing that Manna cannot meet the need.
“Families are running out of their grocery money,” Micah Chrisman, spokesperson for Manna Foodbank, told Carolina Public Press.
SNAP funding ran out on Nov. 1, in the midst of what has now become the longest government shutdown in US history.
Families strapped for cash and federal employees missing paychecks aren’t the only ones in North Carolina feeling the mounting impacts of the shutdown: they’re now joined by travelers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which is one of 40 airports across the nation being forced to reduce flights.
Recipients left trying to make sense of process
After an initial refusal from the Trump administration to tap emergency funds to pay for SNAP benefits, Judge McConnell required the administration Monday to at least partially pay for SNAP.
Despite a Tuesday Truth Social post in which Trump claimed he would continue to withhold money until the shutdown ended, the White House promised states that 50% of November funds were on the way.
North Carolina moved swiftly, getting partial benefits loaded onto some cards by Friday morning.
But concerned parties didn’t give up the fight.
Thursday afternoon, a group of cities and nonprofits went back in front of Judge McConnell to argue that the federal government is obligated by law to release 100% of the money needed to provide this month’s SNAP benefits to recipients.
McConnell ruled against the federal government, requiring the administration to fully fund SNAP by Friday.
The 50% plan was fraught with complications. Calculating exactly how much each of the recipients would have received of the partial benefits would have been extremely burdensome and result in major delays, Judge McConnell argued. State agencies would first have had to work out how exactly that math would be done.
“The defendants failed to consider the practical consequences associated with this decision to only partially fund SNAP,” Judge McConnell said. “They knew that there would be a long delay in paying partial SNAP payments and failed to consider the harms individuals who rely on those benefits would suffer.”
Half wouldn’t have been enough, said Molly De Marco, a public health and nutrition professor at UNC-Chapel Hill.
“We’re talking about people receiving half of what is already not a particularly generous sum of money, in the month of Thanksgiving,” De Marco told CPP.
“Half is going to be fairly devastating. …. There’s enough money to provide people with full SNAP benefits for the month of November, but because of the political stalemate, one party is holding SNAP recipients hostage.”
The average SNAP beneficiary in North Carolina receives $173 per month to help pay for food. This month, that average payment will likely be closer to $87. The neediest North Carolina families will still be seriously handicapped in what they can afford.
AG Jackson said Friday morning that he was going back to court to sue for full benefits, in addition to the other full benefits suit already appealed by the federal government.
Now, Trump is apparently complying with the order for full benefit payments. It remains to be seen how quickly beneficiaries will have access to those November dollars, even as North Carolina and several other states have acted to release some funds ahead of the federal government. Should the government shutdown continue into December, how that month’s payments will affected is also unclear.
“By not funding SNAP in its entirety, the Administration is harming millions of Americans — including 1.4 North Carolinians — by increasing food insecurity, straining family budgets, and disrupting communities across the state,” wrote Tamika Walker-Kelley, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators.
“Families and children are already going hungry. This is unacceptable.”
In Watauga County, 2,160 people rely on SNAP benefits. Boone resident Jay Jones was once among the ranks of the recipients.
When his wife left him and his autistic 3-year-old daughter, Jones was forced to quit his job and focus on being a full-time single dad, he said.
“That meant I had no insurance, no money,” Jones said. “It was like overnight, a light was switched, and I was left with all these bills and rent and car payments. It’s amazing how quickly you can go through savings. Food just became difficult to put on the table.”
In 2015, Jones applied for food stamps for him and his daughter, and qualified to be recipients.
“Looking back, those benefits really gave me the opportunity to breathe. It gave me room to make good decisions. I didn’t have to worry about my child not eating. I was empowered to put my life in a much better place.
“That’s my biggest concern for what’s happening across the United States and in North Carolina with everyone losing these benefits: you’re taking away empowerment. You’re taking away the ability for people to overcome challenging circumstances.”
Charlotte flights cut
Meanwhile, the government shutdown has hit another crucial corner of the North Carolina economy.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport will cut flights by 10% starting today. That would mean 180 grounded flights per day until the shutdown ends.
“Charlotte Douglas International Airport has been recognized among the 40 airports for reducing flight schedules,” airport staff announced in a statement.
“CLT remains in close communication with our federal and airline partners to stay informed and responsive as needed. There are currently no significant impacts to airport operations. Passengers should check flight status with their airline and plan to arrive in the terminal two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.”
Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
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