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America's top court has issued an urgent ruling that permits for now the federal government to withhold billions of dollars for nutrition assistance used by countless needy U.S. residents.

Administration officials appealed to the country's highest court after a lower court ruled that the SNAP program, called food stamps, should be paid out in full to recipients by Friday.

The programme has been left in limbo by the continuing budget impasse, with the government claiming it could only pay for part of it.

Friday's ruling means $4bn can be held back for now until more court proceedings.

SNAP's Reach

The Snap programme is used by 42 million Americans - around one in eight - and costs almost $9bn a each month.

On Thursday, a Rhode Island judge, John McConnell, alleged the Trump administration of withholding food aid "for political reasons" and said that without the assistance "16 million children are immediately at risk of going hungry".

He ordered the administration to fund the programme in full.

Legal Background

This decision came after that required the government to use contingency funds to at least partially fund the programme for last month.

The legal saga was spurred after the US Department of Agriculture, which manages the Snap programme, stated benefits would be halted in the fall due to the lack of funding over the budget crisis.

Before the Supreme Court stepped in, the USDA said it was attempting to follow with the multiple rulings and was making efforts to doll out the full funds.

High Court's Move

Supreme Court Justice Justice Jackson issued the order late Friday, called an administrative stay, pausing the lower court's ruling for two days while government lawyer's pursue an appeal.

This dispute over food aid funding has become one of the bitterest of what is now the lengthiest budget standoff in American history.

Broader Impact

Government workers have been unpaid for more than a month and flight operations has been disrupted as Congress members cannot reach a deal to pass a budget.

Several states have drawn on their own financial reserves to keep Snap payments going, which are worth around $6 to users via electronic benefit cards which can be used in grocery stores.

But some states have said they are unable to replace the money which has been cut by the federal government.