When SNAP recipients will receive full November benefits

Why it matters: The shutdown's disruption to SNAP has created turmoil for the millions of Americans enrolled in the program, many of whom are still stuck waiting to access their delayed payments.

The latest: "As soon as President Trump signed the bill to reopen the government, money was flowing to States," a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture told Axios on Friday. "USDA stands ready to provide technical assistance if States are struggling to get benefits to families."

• Previously, the department had said that most states would get the funds to distribute benefits "within 24 hours" of the shutdown ending.
• USDA also said in its Thursday guidance that "the reduction in maximum allotments for November is no longer in effect. State agencies should immediately resume issuing combined allotments for November and December for newly certified applicants who apply after the 15th of the month."

Driving the news: Multiple states told Axios during the shutdown that they would be ready to hit the ground running the moment the government reopened, but logistically, it could take a few extra days before they can dole out full benefits.

• Some states have already issued full benefits to their SNAP recipients, however, taking cues from several courts even as the Trump administration protested their orders and threatened future funding to states.
• Some states said that they were still waiting on the administration's go-ahead to process full payments.

What they're saying: Ed Bolen, director of SNAP state strategies on the food assistance team at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, told Axios on Wednesday that following the end of the shutdown, "it may take a day or two to actually process the transfer of funds to participants."

• He added: "Unfortunately, only two companies handle all issuances around the country, and we are concerned that they may not be able to handle all the remaining states all at once."

• SNAP recipients — mostly children and elderly Americans, as well as a large share of disabled people — typically spend all of the money the month it's received, Axios' Emily Peck reported.

Catch up quick: A few states, such as New York, Delaware, Rhode Island, Virginia and Maryland, allocated state funding to SNAP programs before the shutdown ended.

• Others began issuing partial or full payments after courts required the Trump administration to resume funding, though the Supreme Court eventually extended an order freezing full benefits.

State of play: States that said they have already fully disbursed November benefits:

• California, Connecticut, D.C., Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin

Alaska

• The state's goal is to issue all benefits this week, according to Alaska's Department of Health.

Alabama

• Benefits should be available by the end of Thursday, Nov. 13, "after processing of the files is completed, provided there are no unforeseen problems," the state's Department of Human Resources said in a statement.
• "Recipients whose issuance date is November 14 or later should receive benefits on their regular issuance day of the month.

Arkansas

• SNAP recipients should "expect to receive full benefits for November" late Thursday, Nov. 13 into Friday, Nov. 14, per the Department of Human Services.

Colorado

• Recipients can expect funds "as soon as" Thursday, Nov. 13, the Colorado Department of Human Services said in a press release.

Delaware

• Recipients can expect funds "as early as" Nov. 18, per Delaware Health and Social Services.

Georgia

• SNAP recipients will receive the remainder of their allotment by Tuesday, Nov. 18, the state's DHS said in a statement.

Hawaii

• Hawaii issued full benefits to its current SNAP recipients as soon as a Rhode Island judge ruled at the end of October that the Trump administration needed to resume funding the program.
• Those who were approved for benefits between Oct. 28 and Nov. 12, however, will "probably see their full SNAP benefits around the middle of next week," the state DHS' deputy director, Joseph Campos II, said.
• Plus, all SNAP recipients in the state will receive an additional $250 on their EBT cards, which those waiting for their full benefits should already have access to.

Idaho

• Payments are expected to be disbursed no later than Friday, Nov. 14, Idaho's Department of Health and Welfare told Axios.
• "Full benefits will be available on EBT cards within 48 hours of funding receipt," said AJ McWhorter, a public information officer at the DHW.

Illinois

• Payments are expected to be disbursed by Thursday, Nov. 20, the state's DHS told Axios.

Iowa

• The state's Department of Health and Human Services "anticipates that all SNAP benefits will be issued by Friday, Nov. 14."

Kentucky

• Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday that full benefits will "certainly" be distributed by the end of the month.
• "I mean, we're going to beat that," he said during a press conference. "We're hoping to get it done as quickly as possible."
• Beshear "will share more information on timing as it is available from the federal government," Kendra Steele, executive officer of Kentucky's Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said.

Louisiana

• Louisiana will distribute outstanding payments "within a week," the state's department of health said on Thursday.
• Seniors and disabled residents, who received 25% state-funded assistance between Nov. 1 and Nov. 4, will be allowed to keep that money in addition to their full SNAP payments.

Maryland

• Residents will receive "the remainder of the SNAP benefits they are due" on Nov. 18, the state's DHS said in a statement on Friday.

Montana

• The state will issue all full payments on Saturday, Nov. 15, Montana's Department of Public Health and Human Services told Axios.

Nevada

• The governor's office "expects all SNAP benefits to be available within the next few days," it told Axios.

North Carolina

• "Approximately 600,000 households should see the full benefit amount loaded on their EBT cards by Friday," the state's DHHS said.
• The rest of the 1.4 million recipients in the state will receive them "as soon as we received authorization from the federal government," according to to the department's secretary, Dev Sangvai.

North Dakota

• Recipients "could see funds" as soon as Monday evening, Nov. 17, per the state's HHS department.
• Jecca Geffre, a spokesperson for the department, told Axios that the government hopes to start by then, but "can only estimate."

Ohio

• Ohio's Department of Job & Family Services said on Friday that it is working to complete the distribution of full benefits "by mid-next week."

Oklahoma

• "Most Oklahomans can expect to receive the remainder of their November SNAP benefits in about 24 hours," the state's DHS told Axios on Thursday.

Oregon

• Recipients waiting on outstanding payments will receive them by Nov. 14.

Pennsylvania

• "Benefits are going out and should be paid to all SNAP recipients by the end of the week," the governor's office said in a press release.

South Dakota

• The state's Department of Social Services has already sent out partial benefits, but is awaiting guidance from USDA before it makes full payments.
• They expect that to happen next week, according to Tracy Mercer – O'Daniel, DSS special projects coordinator.

South Carolina

• Full benefits will be available Nov. 14 for "Newly approved SNAP households whose benefits were authorized between October 16th and November 13th" and "SNAP households with a monthly issuance date between the 1st and the 14th," according to the state's DSS.

Utah

• Full payments will be issued by Saturday, Nov. 15, according to the state's Department of Workforce Services.

Vermont

• Payments will be issued by Friday, Nov. 14, according to the governor's office.
• State funding for the period between Nov. 1 and Nov. 15 will not be taken back, the state confirmed to a local 

Virginia

• Virginia will issue "all remaining" November benefits by Tuesday, Nov. 18, the state's DSS told Axios.
• "Households that did not receive Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance (VENA) will receive their full SNAP benefit tomorrow, Saturday, November 15," the department said.
• "Households that received VENA in November and a partial SNAP benefit on Thursday, November 13, will receive the remaining balance of their normal SNAP benefits on Tuesday, November 18."

States without a timeline for disbursing payments

Arizona

• "The Department of Economic Security (DES) is taking immediate action to issue any outstanding benefits and resume normal SNAP benefit operations," Brett Bezio, a spokesperson for the state's Department of Economic Security, told Axios.

Indiana

• Indiana's FSSA directed Axios to its website, which says that "The exact date when the additional funds will be available is still being finalized."

Missouri

• "With federal funding back in place, our team is moving swiftly to issue full November benefits," Jess Bax, DSS director, said in a statement.

Nebraska

• Shannon Grotrian, director of the DHHS Office of Economic Assistance, said on Thursday that the department will distribute the remaining benefits once the USDA provides final authorization.

Texas

• The state's Health and Human Services Commission "is actively preparing to deliver full benefits to SNAP recipients as it reviews updated guidance" from the USDA, the agency said.