The Illinois Department of Human Services has announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture has informed all states that it will not fund November Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits if the federal government shutdown continues.
SNAP is a 100 percent federally funded benefit and the federal government withholding payments to the state would impact all 1.9 million recipients in Illinois. The state administers more than $350 million in SNAP benefits each month. If SNAP funds are not delivered by the federal government, the State of Illinois does not have the budgetary ability to backfill those critical resources.
The President and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association Rob Karr says with grocers in many communities already struggling to keep their doors open, the elimination of this vital support puts entire communities at risk of losing access to fresh and healthy food. He is encouraging federal leaders to work collaboratively to ensure the assistance doesn’t lapse.
