The federal government’s announcement that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits likely wouldn’t be distributed in November rippled through Maine, where tens of thousands of households rely on the nation’s largest food assistance program.

The news prompted leaders at all levels of Maine government to call on the federal government to distribute the benefits to avoid a crisis for recipients.

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey this week joined a multistate lawsuit seeking to force the Trump administration to use the $5 billion in contingency funding approved by Congress and continue providing benefits under SNAP. On Friday, the judge in that case, as well as another federal judge in a separate case, determined that the administration must at least partially fund SNAP using billions in contingency funding.

Despite those rulings, it remains unclear when or if the debit cards that SNAP beneficiaries use to buy groceries will be reloaded. That process often takes one to two weeks, and the administration has said in court filings that calculating partial payments would take weeks. Both rulings are also likely to be appealed by the government.

In Maine, Gov. Janet Mills is also facing mounting pressure to call a special session of the Legislature to address the state’s anticipated $29 million gap in SNAP, which was set to run out of money Saturday.

The impending shortfalls have highlighted the emergency food network in the state, which provides groceries and meals through food pantries, dining programs and delivery services. But officials and advocates say food pantries can’t fill the gap in the absence of SNAP benefits.

In September, nearly 170,000 Mainers — or about 12.5% of the state’s population — received benefits, according to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Family Independence.

Among SNAP households, 73% include someone who is working, 58% include a person with a disability, 43% include older adults and 34% include children, according to state data.

Here’s a look at where benefits are distributed on a county-by-county basis across the state.

Maine has the highest food insecurity rates in New England. One in 7 people in the state faces hunger, including one in five children, according to Feeding America, a nonprofit network of food banks.

Many of those people rely on SNAP to help pay for meals, which cost an average of $3.76 in Maine.

According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap Study, Maine needs an additional $136.6 million per year to meet its food needs.

This story contains reporting from The Associated Press.