The month leading into the biggest food holiday of the year has been stressful for the 41.7 million Americans who rely on theSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. The final weeks before Thanksgiving have provided relief following the end of thelongest-ever government shutdown, but it has come to some in more of a trickle than a tidal wave.
Funding was fully restored to the program on Nov. 12 when the shutdown ended and federal monies were to be distributed by states within 24 hours, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)previously told USA TODAY.From there, it was up to the states.
There is no national distribution date for SNAP benefits, andpayment dates differ by state.Even within states, the dates vary by recipient, with some using Social Security numbers, last names, or case numbers to determine who receives money on which day of the month.
Adult Education Manager with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Maria Lopez, of Woodland Park, holds boxes of food as she awaits the next vehicle, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Leonie. The bank distributed approximately 2,000 boxes of food to federal workers and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients who have been affected by the government shutdown." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Kent Useary, 65, who lives on Detroit's east side, rides his scooter during a food distribution event at Jesus Tabernacle of Deliverance Ministries in Detroit, Mich., Nov. 5, 2025." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Faith communities, nonprofits and volunteers step up amid the federal block of SNAP
Adult Education Manager with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Maria Lopez, of Woodland Park, holds boxes of food as she awaits the next vehicle, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Leonie. The bank distributed approximately 2,000 boxes of food tofederal workers and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients who have been affected by the government shutdown.
Even with full funding restored, complications were anticipated. Technical issues could arise for those who have already issued partial payments that now need to be rounded out, USDA official Patrick Penn previously told courts, adding that it would likely take statesdays, weeks or even monthsto reprogram their systems and work with contractors to enable partial payments.
That, paired with a backlog and normal, run-of-the-mill tech issues and human error, has resulted in holes in the pathwork system that some recipients have fallen through in the lead-up to Thanksgiving.
SNAP benefits continue to trickle in leading up to Thanksgiving
In Tennessee, at least 5,000 people were still missing benefits the week before Thanksgiving, Signe Anderson, Senior Director of Nutrition Advocacy at theTennessee Justice Center, told USA TODAY on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The state's Department of Human Services (DHS) originally said benefits would be issued by Nov. 20, but later removed that commitment from its website.
On Nov. 25, DHSshared a poston X, formerly Twitter, saying, "November SNAP delivery is in progress."
As of Nov. 25,the DHS website saidthose who only got partial payments earlier in the month would see the rest appear on EBT cards starting Monday, Nov. 17. Households that normally receive their benefits on the 18th, 19th, or 20th of the month will receive their benefits on those days, the website said, before noting that "some households may receive their full SNAP benefit payment on a different date than scheduled."
ANov. 17 press releasefrom DHS also said that "Households that have not yet received any November benefits should expect to receive their full benefit amount in the coming days," without further specifying a timeframe.
"The majority of SNAP customers in Tennessee received their remaining full SNAP benefits on or before November 20," DHS said in a statement to USA TODAY on Nov. 25.
In Mississippi, the majority of the state's roughly 350,000 SNAP beneficiaries were still waiting as of Nov. 20 due to technical issues with its payment system, theMississippi Free Press reported.
"It's our systems. We have 35 and 40-year-old systems that run COBOL," Mark Jones, chief communications officer at the Mississippi Department of Human Services, told the Free Press. Following guidance given before the shutdown ended, the state had already input 65% payments into the system, which posed issues when officials tried to issue full payments after a funding bill was reached.
DHS previously said that recipients who get their payments on Friday, Nov. 21, would receive the same 65% issued to those earlier in the month between Nov. 4-15, reported the Free Press. The remaining 35% would be paid out when the computer system is fixed, it said.
An updated Nov. 21 press release from the department said the issuance of remaining November SNAP benefits was "currently underway" and could be paid as early as the same day. Some communities online have reported continued issues after that, however.
"All benefits should be loaded to cards," Jones told USA TODAY in a Nov. 25 statement.
Up against a holiday shopping wire
People who rely on SNAP in some states may come up against the Thanksgiving shopping wire simply due to the timeline on which their states distribute benefits normally, meaning any additional delay or disruption may make families miss the holiday mark.
States like Louisiana, Missouri, Alabama and South Carolina issue benefits as late in the month as the 22nd or 23rd, giving officials and recipients alike little time to fix hiccups before the holiday. It's not likely that all payment delays are the result of the shutdown − technical errors do happen when it's business as usual, too.
New policies laid out in the "Big Beautiful Bill"as to who qualifies for SNAP have also gone into place, so additional paperwork or other administrative changes may also hold some people up.
Paired with a steep backlog that accumulated during the shutdown, some states have been releasing funds sporadically. Frustrated people have taken to social media sites like Reddit and Facebook, where members regularly update each other on the status of their payments.
Multiple mentions of delays in Illinois, Louisiana, Colorado and Florida appeared across platforms, though none of the states' human services departments have reported significant roadblocks. In Illinois, benefits were expected to be fully paid by Nov. 20, while Florida's website said full payments occurred on Nov. 14. Advocates in Floridahave expressed concernthat the state's significant backlog will slow the process further.
The Florida Department of Children and Families reiterated the statement on its website when contacted by USA TODAY, saying, "As of 5 a.m. ET on November 14, 2025, all previously scheduled November SNAP benefits have been issued to eligible recipients. Recipients scheduled to receive November SNAP benefits after November 14 will receive their benefits on their normally scheduled issuance dates."
Louisiana and Colorado are among the states that provided less clear timelines, with Louisiana saying on Nov. 13 that payments would begin the following week and Colorado's DHS saying it would begin loading cards the same day.
USA TODAY reached out to DHS in Illinois, Louisiana, Colorado and Florida. USA TODAY also reached out to the USDA for comment.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Some SNAP recipients still without payments ahead of Thanksgiving
