When SNAP benefits will arrive is still in flux. Here's what communities are doing to fill the gap

The Trump administration says it will restart the national food aid program known as SNAP using money from a Department of Agriculture contingency fund but will only pay out half the amount participants would normally receive.

In a court filing, officials said depleting that fund means "no funds will remain for new SNAP applicants certified in November, disaster assistance, or as a cushion against the potential catastrophic consequences of shutting down SNAP entirely."

Starting Nov. 1, SNAP benefits did not hit accounts as expected after the USDA, which administers SNAP, froze funding, citing the federal government shutdown. The shutdown is now in its 35th day.

It is unclear when low-income families who depend on SNAP will receive these partial funds. The Trump administration said it anticipates long delays — "anywhere from a few weeks to up to several months" — before benefits arrive in the hands of registered SNAP recipients.