When the federal food stamp program is operating normally, recipients receive money for groceries on their electronic cards on the same day each month.
Under the longest government shutdown in history, many people have not yet received food stamps for November—and may not receive the benefits for months, according to experts and government officials.
The Trump administration on Nov. 3 said it would issue partial benefits for November to comply with a court order. The money for the benefits is being drawn from a contingency fund that has $4.6 billion in it.
Because only partial benefits will be paid, states must adjust their food stamp distribution systems after receiving information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Patrick Penn, an official with the USDA, said in a filing….