🔗 Share this article The Highest Court Rules Complete Snap Food Benefits Can Be Put on Hold. The US Supreme Court has issued an emergency order that permits for now the federal government to delay billions in funding for nutrition assistance used by millions of low-income Americans. The White House appealed to the country's highest court after a lower court ruled that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, called food aid, should be paid out in full to recipients by the end of the week. The programme has been caught in uncertainty by the continuing budget impasse, with the Trump administration claiming it could only pay for part of it. Friday's ruling means £3.04bn can be held back for now pending further legal hearings. SNAP's Reach The Snap programme is issued by 42 million Americans - around one in eight - and requires almost £6.9bn a month. On Thursday, a federal magistrate, the presiding judge, alleged 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 administration to pay out the programme completely. Court Proceedings This decision followed another that required the administration to use reserve money to at least partly pay for the programme for last month. The legal saga was triggered after the USDA, which manages the food stamp program, announced benefits would be stopped in the fall due to the lack of funding over the shutdown. Prior to the high court's action, the USDA said it was working to comply with the various court orders and was taking steps to doll out the full funds. High Court's Move Supreme Court Justice Justice Jackson issued the order late Friday, known as an temporary halt, pausing the lower court's ruling for two days while federal attorneys pursue an appeal. This dispute over food aid funding has become among the most contentious of what is now the lengthiest budget standoff in American history. Wider Effects Federal employees have been unpaid for more than a month and air travel has been thrown into chaos as Congress members cannot reach a deal to pass a budget. Several states have drawn on their own financial reserves to keep food benefits going, which are valued at around $6 to recipients via pre-loaded debit cards which can be used in food markets. However, certain states have said they are unable to replace the funding which has been lost from the federal government.