The Trump administration said today that it will provide partial food stamp benefits for November by tapping into the program’s contingency fund amid the ongoing government shutdown.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture told a federal court that it will tap into a contingency fund to allow states to issue partial SNAP benefits.

The agreement to use contingency funds to pay for food stamp benefits came after a judge said Trump administration could not cease paying for the benefits.

Food pantries remain unusually busy as it's unclear how soon SNAP payments will arrive amid the government shutdown.

The Trump administration said today that it would send partial payments this month to the roughly 42 million Americans who receive food stamps. Officials announced the plan after a pair of federal judges said the government had acted unlawfully by initially refusing to pay for the food aid during the government shutdown.

The Trump administration had said SNAP food assistance wouldn’t be distributed in November because of the government shutdown. But on Friday, a judge ordered that contingency funds be distributed.

One in eight Americans are dependent on a food assistance program called Snap, which has gone unfunded since Saturday.

In an unprecedented situation, millions of Americans could lose access to a crucial food assistance program in the coming weeks amid the federal government shutdown.

In response to a court order, the Trump administration says it will provide half of the regular food stamp benefits during the government shutdown. To discuss what the decision will mean for SNAP recipients,

Jackson neighbors who depend on food stamps are being told money will arrive soon as neighborhood food pantry stores are rapidly depleting.

Several Central Jersey restaurants have stepped up to offer meals to those who face the possibility of going hungry.