🔗 Share this article

America's top court has granted 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 sought relief from the Supreme Court after a lower court ruled that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food aid, should be paid out completely to recipients by the end of the week.

This assistance has been left in limbo by the ongoing federal government shutdown, with the government claiming it could only afford to partially fund it.

Friday's ruling means £3.04bn can be temporarily withheld until more court proceedings.

SNAP's Reach

This nutrition aid is issued by 42 million Americans - approximately 12% - and requires almost $9bn a month.

On Thursday, a federal magistrate, the presiding judge, alleged the Trump administration of blocking nutrition funds "for political reasons" and said that without the assistance "millions of kids are immediately at risk of going hungry".

The judge mandated the government to pay out the assistance completely.

Court Proceedings

The Thursday ruling came after that ordered the administration to use reserve money to at least partly pay for the programme for last month.

The legal saga was spurred after the USDA, which manages the food stamp program, stated payments would be stopped in the fall due to the budget shortfall over the shutdown.

Prior to the high court's action, the USDA said it was attempting to follow with the various court orders and was taking steps to doll out the complete amount.

High Court's Move

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson granted the stay on Friday evening, known as an temporary halt, pausing the previous decision for two days while government lawyer's pursue an appeal.

The row over nutrition program money has become one of the bitterest of what is now the lengthiest budget standoff in American history.

Wider Effects

Government workers have been unpaid for more than a month and flight operations has been disrupted as Congress members fail to agree a deal to fund the government.

Several states have used their own financial reserves to keep Snap payments flowing, which are worth around six dollars to users via electronic benefit cards which can be redeemed in grocery stores.

But some states have said they are cannot cover the money which has been lost from the federal government.