The longest federal government shutdown in history came to an end late on Nov. 12 after President Donald Trump signed a bill to fund the government through Jan. 30, offering a glimmer of hope to the 41.7 million Americans who rely on the paused Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) .

SNAP , formerly known as food stamps, provides cash cards known as Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) to approximately 12% of Americans for a limited time to help purchase basic food items. Households at or below 130% of the poverty line generally qualify for assistance, with a large number of recipients being elderly, disabled or children .

Payments were paused on Nov. 1 amid the shutdown, sparking a back-and-forth in courts between the Trump administration and states to keep benefit

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