The Highest Court Decides Complete Snap Food Aid Can Be Put on Hold.

The US Supreme Court has issued an urgent ruling that permits for now the federal government to withhold billions of dollars for nutrition assistance used by millions of low-income Americans.

Administration officials sought relief from the Supreme Court after a lower court ruled that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, called food stamps, 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 arguing it could only pay for part of it.

Friday's ruling means $4bn can be temporarily withheld until more court proceedings.

Programme Impact

The Snap programme is used by 42 million Americans - around one in eight - and costs almost £6.9bn a month.

Earlier this week, a Rhode Island judge, John McConnell, accused the government of withholding food aid "for political reasons" and said that without the aid "millions of kids are immediately at risk of facing hunger".

The judge mandated the government to pay out the programme in full.

Legal Background

The Thursday ruling followed another that ordered the administration to use contingency funds to at least partly pay for the programme for last month.

The legal saga was triggered after the US Department of Agriculture, which oversees the food stamp program, stated benefits would be stopped in the fall due to the budget shortfall over the budget crisis.

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 distribute the full funds.

Supreme Court Action

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson granted the order late Friday, called an administrative stay, effectively freezing the lower court's ruling for two days while federal attorneys pursue an appeal.

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

Wider Effects

Federal employees have been without pay for more than a month and flight operations has been thrown into chaos as Congress members cannot reach a compromise to pass a budget.

Several states have used their own financial reserves to keep food benefits flowing, which are valued at around $6 to recipients via electronic benefit cards which can be redeemed in food markets.

But some states have said they are unable to replace the money which has been lost from the U.S. treasury.