PHILADELPHIA – Gov. Josh Shapiro on Friday announced that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are once again being distributed to Pennsylvanians after a federal court ruled that the Trump administration must restore full funding for the program.

Speaking from the SHARE Food Program in Philadelphia, Shapiro said the state moved quickly to process and release the payments following Thursday’s legal victory. The ruling restored benefits to roughly two million Pennsylvanians who rely on SNAP each month, including 700,000 children and nearly half a million residents in Philadelphia alone.

“We went to court, we won, and now the dollars are flowing again,” Shapiro said during the livestreamed press conference. “If you’re one of the people who saw zero on your SNAP card at the start of the month, go check it–those funds are being added right now.”

The administration’s rapid response came after weeks of uncertainty when federal payments were halted, leaving food banks across the state overwhelmed. Shapiro said the pause created immediate demand at local pantries such as SHARE, Philabundance in Philadelphia, and the Weinberg food bank in northeastern Pennsylvania. Lines stretched for blocks in some neighborhoods as residents sought food aid.

The governor credited the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, led by Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh, for acting quickly once the ruling came down. Within hours, the department submitted the names of those who had missed their payments to the federal vendor that distributes SNAP funds. The money began appearing on recipients’ cards by late Friday evening.

Shapiro explained that the restored benefits could total around $100 million for the first week of November alone, though the full monthly allocation statewide is approximately $366 million. “We’re talking about seven days’ worth of people who didn’t get their benefits, and those are the dollars now flowing out,” he said.

He also outlined the steps the state took to help families during the lapse. In the weeks before the court ruling, Shapiro signed an emergency declaration freeing up $5 million in state funds for food assistance and launched the Pennsylvania Emergency SNAP Fund, which raised more than $2 million in private donations. That money, he said, was distributed directly to Feeding Pennsylvania and its network of pantries.

Despite those efforts, Shapiro emphasized that charity alone could not replace federal aid. “SNAP is a lifeline,” he said. “The only answer is for the federal government to do its job and fund it.”

The governor’s remarks also grew emotional as he criticized federal officials for attempting to appeal the court’s decision. “This is the first time since the 1960s that SNAP has gone unfunded,” Shapiro said. “Our neighbors are hungry because Washington broke a promise. That’s shameful.”

He praised local organizations and volunteers for stepping up during the crisis, noting that the emergency declaration had enabled SHARE to receive an additional $740,000 in funding to buy and distribute food. “This is the Pennsylvania way–neighbors looking out for neighbors,” he said.

Shapiro said his administration would continue monitoring distributions to ensure all recipients received their full November benefits. He emphasized that the payments were entirely federal dollars and that no state funds were used to backfill the federal shortfall.

“The federal government holds the purse here,” Shapiro said. “We’re simply making sure that money gets where it belongs–to families in need.”

Shapiro closed the press conference with an appeal for cooperation and compassion. “We have farmers producing more than enough food for every Pennsylvanian,” he said. “The only reason anyone goes hungry is because of policy decisions. We’re doing everything in our power to make sure that doesn’t happen here.”

By late Friday, the Department of Human Services reported that the majority of recipients due payments earlier in the month should see their balances restored by midnight. Shapiro urged those still waiting to monitor their accounts over the weekend as processing continues.

For families who faced empty cards and empty shelves this week, the governor said, the relief can’t come soon enough. “Food is a basic human right,” he said. “And in Pennsylvania, we’ll always fight to protect it.”