The 2 million Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients in Illinois will find a reduction in their monthly benefits beginning March 1 Since April 2020, all Illinois SNAP households received both the regular monthly benefit and an emergency SNAP allotment, according to the Illinois Department of Human Services. Eligible families have received a 15% boost in SNAP benefits, with a maximum benefit based on household size instead of income.
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With the end of emergency benefits, SNAP participants will see benefits reduced anywhere from $95 to $250 per person per month. The reduction in SNAP benefits is a result of a federal policy change.Beginning March 1, each SNAP household will receive benefits based on the normal eligibility determination process that considers the household size, income, and deductions. The decrease in benefits will vary and depend on each household’s size and financial circumstances.To prepare for this change, the department recommends SNAP recipients go to abe.illinois.gov and update their account if there is a change in address, increase in housing costs, or decrease in income. This will ensure SNAP recipients are getting the maximum benefit for which they are eligible.
“We understand and recognize that many Illinois residents have counted on these additional emergency food benefits to secure healthy food for themselves and their families,” said Grace B. Hou, secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services. “We are working with our food pantry partners across the state to meet residents’ needs during this adjustment period.”
Nearly half of the states across the country have already ended their SNAP emergency allotments ahead of the federal change, while Illinois is among the states that are sustaining benefits through February when the federal increases expire.
The increased benefits were intended to stop once the government declared an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Though the public health emergency has been extended until April, the allotments are ending earlier.
