Marylanders who have been waiting for food assistance amid the government shutdown and legal fights will start to see state-funded benefits in their accounts starting Tuesday.

Gov. Wes Moore pledged earlier this week to pay 50% of the value of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to Marylanders in November, after President Donald Trump’s administration had refused to pay full benefits.

SNAP benefits are loaded onto customers’ cards once per month on a rolling basis, starting on the fourth — meaning some Marylanders have been without new aid since Tuesday. The state Department of Human Services says they’ll be caught up by Nov. 11.

SNAP customers who normally receive benefits before the 11th will get them on the 11th. Customers who receive benefits later in the month will see their cards loaded at the usual time.

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The Democratic governor is tapping $62 million of state money to keep at least some money flowing to Marylanders who receive SNAP. He said the state money will go out regardless of what happens in court, as the Trump administration has appealed court orders to pay SNAP benefits.

“If there are two things that we have all come to know about President Trump, it’s that he hates judges and he loves chaos,” Moore said at a cabinet meeting in Prince George’s County. “I’m not going to spend my time waiting for the president to get it right. We’re going to move. We’re going to act.”

Moore announced additional actions on Friday in response to the federal government shutdown:

  • Tapping $10.1 million from a state energy fund to backfill a federally funded program that helps low-income families keep their heat and lights on, known as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
  • Allowing federal employees who are forced to work without pay — who aren’t eligible for unemployment insurance — to apply for a second round of no-interest $700 loans. Already, 2,200 Marylanders applied for the first round of loans.
  • Offering additional free public transit rides for federal workers: MTA buses, light rail, Baltimore Metro subway and paratransit. Federal workers can email mtacharmpass@mta.maryland.gov to apply for a free monthly CharmPass to cover the rides.