The Department of Agriculture's unprecedented demand that states and payment processors turn over sensitive data about people who receive federal food assistance is on hold — for now.

A USDA official said in court filings late Friday the agency has not yet begun collecting the personal data of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, after a coalition of groups filed a lawsuit alleging the directive violated federal privacy laws.

In a letter last month, the department told states they would be required to turn over the data of people who had applied to or received aid from SNAP over the past five years, including their names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and addresses. The letter said states should submit the data through their third-party contractors ta

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