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America's top court has issued an emergency order that permits for now the Trump administration to delay billions in funding for nutrition assistance used by countless needy U.S. residents.

Administration officials appealed to the country's highest court after a federal judge ruled that the SNAP program, also known as food stamps, should be paid out completely to recipients by the end of the week.

The programme has been caught in uncertainty by the ongoing federal government shutdown, with the Trump administration arguing it could only pay for part of it.

Friday's ruling means $4bn can be temporarily withheld until more court proceedings.

SNAP's Reach

The Snap programme is used by tens of millions of U.S. citizens - around one in eight - and requires almost $9bn a month.

Earlier this week, a Rhode Island judge, the presiding judge, accused the Trump administration of blocking nutrition funds "due to political motives" and said that without the assistance "16 million children are immediately at risk of going hungry".

He ordered the administration to fund the assistance in full.

Legal Background

The Thursday ruling followed another that ordered the administration to use contingency funds to at least partially fund the programme for November.

This court battle was spurred after the US Department of Agriculture, which oversees the food stamp program, stated payments would be halted in the fall due to the budget shortfall over the budget crisis.

Prior to the high court's action, the USDA said it was attempting to follow with the various court orders and was taking steps to doll out the complete amount.

High Court's Move

High Court Judge Justice Jackson issued the order late Friday, known as an temporary halt, effectively freezing the lower court's ruling for 48 hours while federal attorneys seek to overturn it.

The row over nutrition program money has become among the most contentious of what is now the lengthiest budget standoff in American history.

Wider Effects

Government workers have been unpaid for over 30 days and flight operations has been thrown into chaos as Democratic and Republican lawmakers fail to agree a deal to fund the government.

Some states have used their own budget savings to keep Snap payments flowing, which are valued at around $6 to users via electronic benefit cards which can be redeemed in food markets.

But some states have said they are unable to replace the funding which has been cut by the U.S. treasury.