Starting Feb. 1, SNAP recipients ages 18-64 without dependents will be required to work for at least 80 hours a month. If work/volunteer requirements aren't met in any month, it will count against the SNAP recipient.
by Judith Ruiz-BranchPublic News Service
New work-reporting requirements for SNAP recipients in Illinois take effect next month and groups fighting hunger said they are working hard to ensure the nearly 2 million Illinois residents who rely on SNAP food assistance are prepared for the changes. Starting Feb. 1, SNAP recipients ages 18-64 without dependents will be required to work, volunteer or participate in a qualified education or training program for at least 80 hours a month to maintain their benefits. There's widespread concern the stringent reporting requirements will cause some to be denied benefits or go without. Camerin Mattson, communications manager for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, explained those who fail to meet the requirements will be limited to three months of SNAP benefits within a three-year period, which could begin as early as May 1. "Ostensibly, if they're unable to meet those requirements in February, in March and in April, as of May 1st, they would lose their benefits," Mattson pointed out. She noted it does not have to be consecutive. If work requirements aren't met in any month, it will count against the SNAP recipient but there are exemptions, and she urged anyone who may qualify for them to alert the Illinois Department of Human Services immediately to avoid losing benefits, which can be done online. Mattson emphasized the critical role SNAP plays in food security, noting for every meal provided by food banks, SNAP benefits provide nine meals. She cautioned the November government shutdown was a sobering preview of the effects of benefit disruption. Her organization served a record high of more than 240,000 households across Cook County. She anticipates they will see another increase as new work requirements take effect. "Food pantries and food banks like ours are meant to supplement," Mattson underscored. "We were not designed to fill the gap of this big federal program that has been around for decades, that has been operating so successfully in helping people not experience food insecurity." She stressed the broader economic implications: Every dollar in SNAP benefits generates $1.50 in local economic activity at grocery stores through job creation and tax revenue generation. She thinks the effects could especially be felt in areas where grocery stores are already scarce, potentially leading to store closures and fewer community resources.
