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The US Supreme Court has granted an urgent ruling that temporarily allows the Trump administration to withhold billions in funding for nutrition assistance used by countless needy U.S. residents.

Administration officials sought relief from the Supreme Court after a federal judge ordered that the SNAP program, also known as food aid, should be paid out completely to beneficiaries by the end of the week.

The programme has been caught in uncertainty by the continuing budget impasse, with the government arguing it could only afford to partially fund it.

The court's decision 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 costs almost £6.9bn a month.

Earlier this week, a federal magistrate, the presiding judge, alleged the Trump administration of withholding food aid "due to political motives" and said that without the assistance "millions of kids are in danger of facing hunger".

He ordered the administration to pay out the programme completely.

Court Proceedings

The Thursday ruling followed another that required the administration to use reserve money to at least partly pay for the assistance for last month.

This court battle was triggered after the USDA, which oversees the food stamp program, announced benefits would be stopped in November due to the lack of funding over the budget crisis.

Prior to the high court's action, 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 granted the order late Friday, called an administrative stay, pausing the previous decision for two days while federal attorneys seek to overturn it.

This dispute over nutrition program money has become one of the bitterest of what is now the longest government shutdown in American history.

Broader Impact

Government workers have been without pay for over 30 days and flight operations has been thrown into chaos as Democratic and Republican lawmakers cannot reach a compromise to pass a budget.

Several states have drawn on their own budget savings to keep food benefits flowing, which are valued at around six dollars to recipients via electronic benefit cards which can be used in grocery stores.

But some states have said they are cannot cover the funding which has been cut by the U.S. treasury.