The Highest Court Rules Full Snap Food Aid Can Be Put on Hold.
America's top court has granted an urgent ruling that permits for now the Trump administration to delay billions in funding for food benefits used by millions of low-income Americans.
Administration officials sought relief from the Supreme Court after a lower court ordered that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, should be paid out in full to beneficiaries by the end of the week.
This assistance has been caught in uncertainty by the continuing budget impasse, with the Trump administration claiming it could only afford to partially fund it.
Friday's ruling means £3.04bn can be temporarily withheld until more court proceedings.
Programme Impact
The Snap programme is used by tens of millions of U.S. citizens - approximately 12% - and costs almost $9bn a each month.
Earlier this week, a federal magistrate, the presiding judge, accused the Trump administration of withholding food aid "for political reasons" and said that without the assistance "millions of kids are in danger of facing hunger".
He ordered the government to pay out the programme completely.
Court Proceedings
This decision followed another that ordered the government to use contingency funds to at least partly pay for the programme for last month.
This court battle was triggered after the US Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Snap programme, announced benefits would be halted in the fall 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 making efforts to doll out the full funds.
High Court's Move
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued the stay late Friday, known as an temporary halt, effectively freezing the previous decision for 48 hours while federal attorneys seek to overturn it.
This dispute over food aid funding has become among the most contentious of what is now the longest government shutdown in American history.
Broader Impact
Federal employees have been without pay for more than a month and air travel has been thrown into chaos as Congress members fail to agree a deal to pass a budget.
Several states have used their own budget savings to keep food benefits going, which are worth around six dollars to users via electronic benefit cards which can be redeemed in grocery stores.
However, certain states have said they are cannot cover the funding which has been cut by the federal government.
