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America's top court has granted an emergency order that permits for now the federal government to delay billions of dollars for nutrition assistance used by millions of low-income Americans.

Administration officials appealed to the country's highest court after a lower court ruled that the SNAP program, also known as food aid, should be distributed completely to beneficiaries by the end of the week.

The programme has been left in limbo by the continuing budget impasse, with the government 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 - approximately 12% - and requires almost $9bn a each month.

On Thursday, a Rhode Island judge, the presiding judge, alleged the government of blocking nutrition funds "for political reasons" and said that without the assistance "16 million children are immediately at risk of facing hunger".

He ordered the government to pay out the programme completely.

Legal Background

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

This court battle was spurred after the US Department of Agriculture, which manages the food stamp program, stated benefits would be halted in November due to the lack of funding over the shutdown.

Prior to the high court's action, the Agriculture Department said it was working to comply with the multiple rulings and was taking steps to distribute the complete amount.

Supreme Court Action

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson granted the order late Friday, called an temporary halt, pausing the previous decision for two days while government lawyer's pursue an appeal.

The row over food aid funding has become among the most contentious of what is now the lengthiest budget standoff in US history.

Wider Effects

Federal employees have been without pay for more than a month and air travel has been disrupted as Congress members cannot reach a compromise to fund the government.

Several states have drawn on their own budget savings to keep Snap payments flowing, which are valued at around $6 to recipients via pre-loaded debit cards which can be used in food markets.

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