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USDA officials reversed course on food-stamp cuts, saying late Wednesday that SNAP recipients will receive up to 65% of their November benefits after recalculations showed payments should be reduced by 35%, not by half. The Justice Department said the agency recognized the error and sent states new guidance. The shift follows a lawsuit that compelled the USDA to use contingency funds during the record-long shutdown. An earlier filing estimated $4.6 billion in reserves to cover about half of eligible households’ current allotments and said the agency intends to exhaust contingency funds.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.