Millions of Americans depending on food assistance are once again left guessing this month. SNAP benefits the lifeline that helps over 40 million households put food on the table will arrive smaller and later than usual. The government confirmed that November’s payments will be partially funded, forcing families to stretch less money across the same rising grocery bills.
It’s not a complete shutdown, but it’s close. After a federal order to use emergency funds, the Department of Agriculture managed to secure about two-thirds of normal benefits for November. The problem is that those funds will take time to flow and not everyone will see the same percentage cut.
SNAP payments in November 2025
Households across the 48 contiguous states and Washington D.C. will receive around 65 % of their usual benefit. A single person who typically gets $298 will now receive $193, while a family of four will drop from $994 to $646. Larger households face even steeper dollar-value cuts.
In places like Hawaii, Alaska, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, benefits are slightly higher because food costs are already inflated — but even there, recipients will only receive around 65 % of what they normally do.
For smaller families, the new minimum payment is $16 in most states, $26 in Hawaii and up to $31 in Alaska.
The math behind the cuts
Not every household gets the maximum SNAP amount, which means reductions don’t hit evenly. Under long-standing federal rules, those receiving the full allotment see a 35 % cut, and families of the same size lose the same number of dollars.
That means, for example, a family of three will lose about $275 this month, while an individual living alone will lose $105. The poorest families those already earning less than the minimum threshold will actually lose a smaller percentage, but everyone will feel the pinch.
When the money actually arrives
Even though November’s benefits have been approved, payments are already delayed in most states. Some residents in Louisiana may see their EBT cards reloaded by Friday, but for many others it could take one to two weeks or longer depending on how quickly state systems can update.
Because SNAP is federally funded but run at the state level, every state is handling the crisis differently. Some, like New Mexico and Virginia, are dipping into local emergency reserves to keep aid moving. Others are simply waiting on Washington, leaving millions of households in limbo.
This month’s shortfall is another warning sign about how fragile America’s food assistance system has become. A single budget fight or administrative delay can ripple through families who live paycheck to paycheck or in this case, benefit to benefit.
For the 42 million Americans relying on SNAP to get through the month, there’s little comfort in knowing that 65 % is still better than zero. The real issue is predictability and until that returns, food security for millions remains one bad week away.