HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) - Federal judges in RI and MA have ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to release federal SNAP benefits by noon on Monday. The USDA has agreed to comply and will release $4.6 billion in contingency funds.

However, questions remain about how much money will be released and when it will reach recipients. It could take weeks or months for recipients to receive partial payments because states must now recalculate those benefits.

In the meantime, 42 million Americans with EBT cards are not receiving any additional benefits for food. This affects 360,000 people in Connecticut.

Governor Ned Lamont, Attorney General William Tong and Senator Richard Blumenthal visited a Hartford food pantry to address the crisis on Monday morning.

“We continue to see the need grow

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