The US Supreme Court has reportedly extended a temporary stay on a court order requiring President Donald Trump's administration to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The program provides assistance to about 42 million low-income people.
In the ruling, the Court allowed the administration to temporarily withhold $4 billion in funding for the SNAP program.
However, the Court stressed that the challenge to the previous court order is still under consideration.
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who said he would deny the administration's request for a stay, agreed to grant temporary relief because the appeal process is ongoing.
Previously, an appeals court had ruled that failure to pay out full SNAP benefits would cause "irreparable harm" to recipients, but the Court granted relief until the appeal is fully resolved.
The partial freeze on food aid comes as the government funding bill has yet to be passed, leaving thousands of federal workers unpaid and many government services disrupted.
The situation has sparked widespread concerns that many families are facing food insecurity.
The ongoing budget conflict risks stalling long-term plans for social security programs.
