DENVER — SNAP recipients in Colorado will receive full payments on their EBT cards as early as Saturday, state officials announced Friday. The announcement came just minutes before the Trump administration sought the opinion of the nation's highest court to block a federal judge's ruling to fully fund SNAP payments for the month of November.
On Friday evening, the Supreme Court of the United States granted the administration's emergency appeal to temporarily block the court order, according to the Associated Press.
Denver7 has reached out to multiple sources with the state and governor's office to see how this newest update impacts Coloradans. This story will be updated.
Earlier in the day, the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) requested full SNAP funding for the month from its vendor. Shortly afterward, its website confirmed that "Coloradans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help purchase healthy food will begin receiving full payments for the month of November 2025."
More than 600,000 Coloradans rely on SNAP, with half of those recipients being children. The AP reports that the food program serves about one in eight Americans across the country.
The announcement came just hours after President Donald Trump’s administration asked a federal appeals court to block a judge’s order that it distribute November’s full monthly SNAP food benefits amid the government shutdown, as reported by the AP. A federal appeals court ruled the order must remain in place. When the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court of the United States to take up the request, it quickly granted the emergency appeal.
Denver7 has been covering the challenges in the community during the shutdown and is sharing resources throughout our reporting:
- Denver pasta chef sparks community push to make more meals as SNAP benefits lapse (Oct. 30)
- Coloradans using Facebook groups to help neighbors ahead of SNAP benefit freeze (Oct. 31)
- Denver mom turns backyard into emergency food pantry on Halloween amid SNAP benefit uncertainty (Oct. 31)
- Finding solutions together: How Denver’s food halls are filling the gap during the shutdown (Nov. 1)
- Denver7 Gives donations help families impacted by government shutdown (Nov. 3)
- While SNAP benefits are on hold, help is not: Denver7 Gives steps up for Colorado families (Nov. 3)
- Northern Colorado butcher, baker give food to neighbors struggling amid SNAP freeze (Nov. 3)
- Worried about your finances during the federal government shutdown? Denver7 shares advice from experts (Nov. 3)
- Demand surges at diaper distributions as SNAP recipients face benefit reductions (Nov. 4)
- 'Really ironic': Nonprofit that trains people for food service careers feeds its students amid SNAP freeze (Nov. 4)
- 'We had to act': Arvada launches campaign to help meet increased need during federal government shutdown (Nov. 6)
- Coloradans react to federal judge's ruling to fully fund SNAP benefits by Friday (Nov. 6)
Colorado is not alone in trying to get full payments for SNAP participants. Officials in California, Kansas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin confirmed Friday evening that some SNAP recipients already have been issued their full November payments, the AP reported.
In Colorado, SNAP participants will likely begin seeing the payments as early as Saturday, but all participants should expect full payments within a few days, a spokesperson for the governor's office said Friday.
"This remains an evolving situation, and new court opinions or guidance from the federal government could still impact access to benefits for the month of November," an official with the Colorado Department of Human Services said.
The department is also warning about potential fraud, and is encouraging SNAP participants to take simple steps to avoid falling victim to scams: Change their PIN often to prevent fraudulent charges, avoid simple PINs, don't share PINs, and, if you're not using the card, freeze your EBT card to stop new purchases.
CDHS Executive Director Michelle Barnes explained that SNAP is essential to ensure everybody has access to healthy food, adding that no family or child should go hungry due to a government shutdown.
“We are moving fast to make sure Coloradans aren’t going hungry," Gov. Jared Polis said in a press release. "My administration and Colorado Department of Human Services will continue working to ensure SNAP food assistance is distributed as soon as possible so every household can stay healthy and nourished."
Coloradans react to state’s SNAP announcement
Henrietta Quintana, who typically receives roughly $400 a month in SNAP benefits, has been forced to dip into her savings to keep food on the table during the federal shutdown.
"We've been afraid," she said. "It's scary, you know, facing uncertainty."
That uncertainty has affected more than 600,000 SNAP recipients in Colorado alone.
"I don't speak just for myself, you know, I'm speaking for the community, the people,” Quintana said. "And it's not just here in Colorado — it's all across the U.S."
After experiencing weeks of uncertainty, the Denver woman remains cautiously optimistic about receiving a full payment as soon as Saturday.
"I'm sure a lot of people are going to be celebrating,” Quintana said. "The celebration is not going to happen until we actually see it on that card, but when we see it on that card, that uncertainty is going to go away.”
For Quintana, the restoration of benefits would provide much-needed relief.
"It'll be a weight lifted off my shoulders," she said. "A resolution for me, and it would be a resolution for a lot of people."
The following resources are currently available for those in need:
To find resources in your area, call 211 or 866-760-5489 or visit the 211 Colorado website. You can also find a list of resources through the Feeding Colorado website or by emailing info@feedingcolorado.org.
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