November 2025 SNAP Updates

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about November 2025 SNAP Updates.

On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, which made significant changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that all states must implement. These changes become effective in Massachusetts on November 1.  SNAP clients will not all be impacted at once. SNAP benefit changes will happen on a rolling basis at each client’s annual recertification. Clients will be notified by DTA when they need to recertify, and if any of these changes apply to them.

Also, on October 1, 2025 Congress failed to pass an appropriations bill leading to a shutdown of the federal government. 

Below are Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to provide more information on the effect this will have on SNAP clients in Massachusetts.

Federal Government Shutdown and SNAP

What do these court rulings mean? 

• On Thursday, November 6th, a judge ordered USDA to pay full November SNAP benefits. President Trump appealed this decision and even asked the Supreme Court to stop it from taking effect. On Friday evening, the Supreme Court  temporarily paused the judge’s order while a lower court hears further arguments in the case.  
• Because Massachusetts moved quickly, prior to the Supreme Court’s action, Massachusetts issued full payments to SNAP participants who missed their payment due to the Trump Administration stopping benefits. These payments are still active and immediately available to clients who received them. Residents with payments on their EBT cards should continue to use these to purchase food. The remaining SNAP households should get their full November SNAP during the week of November 10-14 on their normal date this week,   
• DTA will continue to monitor what the latest court actions mean for SNAP clients moving forward
   

Can I use the SNAP on my EBT card?

• Yes. If you have SNAP on your card you can and should use it to buy food. 
   

Why have my benefits been delayed? 

• The Trump Administration chose not to send November SNAP benefits during the shutdown, even though they had funding to pay at least partial benefits to feed American families this month.
• A coalition of states (led by Massachusetts) and other private entities sued. A federal district court has since ordered the Trump Administration and USDA to fund November SNAP benefits fully, and USDA sent guidance to states on 11/7 confirming they will be fully funding November SNAP benefits.
• After Massachusetts acted swiftly to issue full benefits to clients who missed November payments, President Trump asked the Supreme Court to intervene and stop further payments from going out. The Supreme Court agreed to temporarily pause the lower court order, while another lower court hears further arguments on the case.
• After the Supreme Court ruling, USDA told States to stop issuing full benefits for November, so DTA has temporarily paused the sending of SNAP benefits to newly approved SNAP applicants pending legal clarification.
• The Trump Administration also claims that States lacked authority to issue full benefits on Friday—but USDA’s own guidance from Friday allowed us to do that, as did the lower court order directing USDA to issue full benefits for November.
• DTA and its EBT vendor have been following this situation closely and will update clients and stakeholders as things evolve. 
   

When will I get my next SNAP benefits?   

• SNAP households who missed payments last week now have full, active balances on their EBT cards that are immediately available for them to use.
• DTA is closely monitoring the actions of the Trump Administration and the courts and will work quickly to ensure benefits are made available as soon as possible.
• DTA will continue to share additional information as it becomes available.
   

Who will get SNAP benefits over the next few days?

• SNAP households who missed payments last week now have full, active balances on their EBT cards that are immediately available for them to use. Residents with payments on their EBT cards should continue to use these to purchase food.
• The remaining SNAP households should get their full November SNAP during the week of November 10-14 on their normal date this week, barring further action by the Trump Administration
• DTA is closely monitoring the actions of the Trump Administration and the courts and will work quickly to ensure benefits are made available as soon as possible.
• DTA will continue to share additional information as it becomes available. 

If I apply for SNAP in November, will I get benefits?  

• DTA will continue its normal business processes, accepting and processing new SNAP. Because the Trump Administration told States to stop issuing full benefits for November, DTA has temporarily paused the sending of SNAP benefits to newly approved SNAP applicants pending legal clarification.
• We are closely monitoring the courts and the Trump Administration’s decisions and what impact these factors have on benefits. 

Can I use the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP)? 

• HIP continues to be available for households with balances on EBT cards (even $0.01) and have not used their November HIP allotment. 

One Big Beautiful Bill Implementation

If the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was passed in July, why are changes only happening now?

The Trump administration waited months to issue guidance implementing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's provisions on Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) work rules, non-citizen eligibility, and the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA). DTA has been preparing while awaiting federal direction for consistent implementation across all states.  

Will immigrants lose benefits immediately?

Certain non-citizens who newly apply starting November 1st will not be eligible for SNAP based on eligibility changes made by the Trump Administration and the OBBB. Certain non-citizens who already receive SNAP but are impacted by these changed rules through DTA will be ineligible as of their next recertification period.

What about the new work requirements?

Beginning November 1, more people must meet ABAWD work rules at application or recertification. This includes parents with teens 14+, homeless individuals, veterans, and people up to 65. Over the next year, DTA expects up to approximately 99,000 more people to be required to meet strict work requirements to keep benefits. Because of the confusing and administratively burdensome nature of these rules, many of these people could lose their SNAP eligibility.  

DTA will check if you have to meet the work rules during your Recertification. Before then, you do not need to contact DTA about the work rules. You can also talk to community partners near you to help understand the changes. Find a list of SNAP Outreach Partners here: SNAP outreach partners |Mass.gov.

How will Massachusetts handle the Payment Error Rate penalties?

On top of continuous quality improvement efforts, DTA is implementing technology upgrades and enhanced training to maintain accuracy while protecting service quality, with potential penalties of $131-394M annually starting in Fiscal Year 2028. The Department is recruiting additional caseworkers to identify and correct errors more efficiently, expanding staff training in high-impact areas like eligibility determination and income verification, and strengthening partnerships with the Department of Unemployment and Department of Revenue to ensure access to the most current and accurate income data available.  

November SNAP Outreach Materials