Governor McKee Issues New Update on SNAP Benefit Impact

Published on Thursday, November 06, 2025

PROVIDENCE, RI –Today, Governor Dan McKee issued the following statement:

“Last night at 9:30 p.m., states received new guidance from USDA on calculating the partial SNAP payments ordered by the courts last week. Because of this change, calculations that were already in progress under the original federal guidance must now be recalculated.

“After creating this SNAP crisis, President Trump and his administration continue to present states with unnecessary barriers in implementing these critical benefits swiftly. These funds should have been released long before the court order, with a single, straightforward set of guidance that ensured recipients received the maximum benefits possible.

“Despite these ongoing changes from the USDA, our team at the Rhode Island Department of Human Services is working urgently to complete calculations in compliance with the latest federal guidance.  We understand how critical these benefits are to Rhode Islanders and will continue to provide updates as the process moves forward.”

Background: 

Initial reporting suggested that all recipients would receive 50% of their monthly benefit. When states received guidance from USDA on November 4, that turned out to be inaccurate. The guidance dictated that after the 50% reduction in benefits, 30% of a household’s net monthly income would be subtracted from the reduced benefit allotment, which would have resulted in some recipients receiving no benefits at all.

Under the revised federal guidance received last night at 9:30 p.m., the top threshold for partial benefits has increased from 50% to 65%. However, the USDA formula still subtracts 30% of a household’s net monthly income from the reduced benefit. Payments will vary by household based on income and benefit level.

Our administration is also monitoring the courts for any SNAP-related rulings.