Illinois SNAP Benefits End Friday for 150,000 Residents Over New Federal Work Requirements

Illinois SNAP benefits end Friday for 150,000 residents due to new federal work requirements that took effect earlier this year.

As many as 150,000 Illinois SNAP participants will lose their food assistance benefits on Friday, May 1, according to state officials and federal data. The cutoff stems from the Trump administration's One Big Beautiful Bill, which imposed stricter eligibility rules on able-bodied adults without dependents.

The new requirements apply to people aged 18 to 64 who do not qualify for exemptions. These adults must now work or volunteer for a minimum of 80 hours per month, or participate in specific training or education programs, to remain eligible for SNAP benefits. If they fail to meet these requirements, they can only receive SNAP benefits for three months within a three-year period.

According to figures released by Governor J.B. Pritzker's office, more than 150,000 Illinois residents had not yet filed paperwork to determine if they qualify for an exemption as of April 1. Pritzker's office is encouraging those individuals to use an online screening tool to check their status.

Pritzker criticized the federal changes.

"For 60 years, Americans across the country have relied on federal food assistance to prevent them from going hungry. Now, as the cost of groceries, gas, and utilities are all rising, Donald Trump is ripping away food assistance from Illinoisans," Pritzker said in an April statement.

The Greater Chicago Food Depository says this will increase need for their pantries. Danielle Perry, Greater Chicago Food Depository policy and advocacy vice president, noted that pantries are already seeing almost 200,000 households per month and this cut will only increase that number.

Community food pantries are bracing for increased demand.

"We're anticipating we're going to need more food so that we're able to get those families what they need," Maeven Sipes, CEO of West Suburban Community Pantry, said. Sipes added that 100 percent of the pantry's funding comes from private donations and 80 percent of the food is donated.

Georgina Rubio, who lost her SNAP benefits, picked out essentials from a neighborhood food pantry in West Chicago on Friday afternoon. Rubio said everything is so expensive and without the money from SNAP, she needs to get more food from different places. Rubio is one of an estimated 35,000 former SNAP recipients who are now looking for help from other places.

The Northern Illinois Food Bank is already seeing a surge in demand as residents feel the pressure of figuring out ways to feed their families. In the first hour food pantries were open on Friday, one food pantry saw double the normal number of neighbors they serve.

"We're all stocking our shelves. We're all rescuing as much food as we can," said Laura Beard, Executive Director of Neighborhood Food Pantries.

Exemptions available include:

• People medically certified as physically or mentally unable to work
• Those currently receiving unemployment benefits
• Those enrolled in a school or training program at least half-time
• Those experiencing chronic houselessness
• AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers
• Individuals who are pregnant
• Parents or other members of a household that includes a child under the age of 14
• Individuals who care for a child under the age of 6 who lives outside of their home
• Individuals in charge of caring for an incapacitated or disabled person

SNAP users can check a federal website to check their status. Current SNAP participants who require food assistance can call 211, or use the Greater Chicago Food Depository's Find Food Locator.

The state also offers the We Got You Illinois food locator.

Resources for work and volunteer opportunities:

Pritzker's office shared resources for work and volunteer opportunities via Job Ready IL and Serve IL. Residents can find more resources at SNAPWorkRequirements.illinois.gov.

Illinoisans can use an online screening tool at abe.illinois.gov to see if they are meeting SNAP work requirements.