The Sentinel: Federal food assistance changes threaten benefits for thousands of Illinoisans

Federal food assistance changes threaten benefits for thousands of Illinoisans

The domestic policy law signed by President Donald Trump last week creates new work requirements that could jeopardize food assistance benefits for 360,000 Illinoisans.

by Ben Szalinski
Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - Hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans could lose benefits from a federal food assistance program while the state will be required to cover more costs under changes passed in the latest domestic policy plan.

Photo: Donna Spearman/Unsplash

President Donald Trump signed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” into law on July 4, making sweeping changes to social services programs, including Medicaid. Among the programs being revamped is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP. The bill institutes new work requirements for many people to remain eligible for benefits and shifts some costs for the program to the states.

Food stamps were first established in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Renamed to SNAP in 2008, the program provides monthly stipends for low-income Americans to purchase select foods at grocery stores. While states implement the program and pay a portion of administrative expenses, the federal government has historically covered the cost of the benefits.

Under the law, work requirements to qualify for SNAP benefits have been expanded to include people up to age 64, along with homeless people, veterans and young adults leaving foster care. Previously, only people age 18-54 had to meet work requirements.

Those populations didn’t previously have to prove they were doing a certain amount of work, but when the changes kick in, they will have to do 80 hours of paid, unpaid or volunteer work each month to qualify for benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The law continues to provide exemptions for people who are physically unable to work, such as for pregnancy.

The changes could leave 360,000 people in Illinois at risk of losing eligibility, according to the state.

“Trump and Republicans would rather children go hungry so their friends can receive tax cuts,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement. “Here in Illinois, we have been working to combat food insecurity for years, and while no state can backfill these costs, the State of Illinois will continue to fight against these harmful impacts and stand up for working families.”

About 1.9 million people were using SNAP in Illinois as of March 2025, according to the USDA.

New costs for the state

Illinois and most other states will have to cover a greater portion of costs for SNAP under the law, including benefits based on the state’s error rate of over- and under-payments on benefits.

Beginning in federal fiscal year 2028, which begins in October 2027, the law requires states with an error rate greater than 10% as of at least FY25 to cover 15% of the cost of benefits. States with lower error rates would cover a smaller portion of the benefits. Illinois recorded an 11% error rate in FY24, according to the USDA.

More than 1.8 million Illinoisians received $4.7 billion of SNAP benefits in FY25, according to the state. If Illinois must pay 15% of the cost of benefits, it could leave the state on the hook for $705 million — or about 1.3% of the current-year budget. Also beginning in federal fiscal year 2027, which begins in October 2026, states will have to cover 75% of administrative costs for SNAP, rather than 50%. This year’s state budget appropriates $60 million for administrative costs for SNAP — up $20 million from last year.

The changes are part of initiatives by congressional Republicans and the Trump administration to shift more responsibility for assistance programs to states. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates changes to SNAP will reduce federal spending by $279 billion over 10 years but increase state spending on SNAP by $121 billion over the same time. The CBO predicts some states could abandon the program or choose to provide a lower level of benefits and not make up for reductions Congress made to the program.

Pritzker and 22 other governors sent a letter to Congress last month saying it’s possible states will have to leave or reduce the SNAP program because of the new cost requirements.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.