Sunday marks the first day of new eligibility requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
As a result of those changes, some food pantries are expecting a surge in demand in coming weeks and months, and some residents are fearful that they may no longer be eligible for benefits in the future.
According to the Department of Agriculture, several new changes officially went into effect on February 1, with the most notable being a new work-reporting requirement that will mean SNAP participants will have to work, volunteer, or participate in qualifying educational programs for at least 80 hours a month to remain eligible.
Participants between the ages of 18 and 64 without dependents are subject to the new requirements.
The changes to the program also will remove exemptions for veterans and those experiencing homelessness. Exemptions still exist for those with mental or physical disabilities, but those individuals will need to have those disabilities medically certified.
For those who don’t meet the 80-hour work requirement and don’t qualify for exemptions, SNAP benefits will be limited to a total of three months within a three-year period.
It is estimated that roughly 1-in-6 Illinoisans have SNAP benefits, and many are fearful that they will no longer qualify for those benefits under the new rules.
The Greater Chicago Food Depository has said it’s imperative that SNAP recipients inform the Illinois Department of Human Services about their work status so they can qualify for benefits. Other pantries like the Bread of Life Food Pantry are also preparing for increased demand for food.
“Many of our clients are confused about the criteria that’s going to be needed to continue to receive their SNAP benefits. Many of them are afraid because they know they won’t meet that criteria for a myriad of reasons,” said Pastor Sandra Gillespie, the executive director at the Bread of Life Food Pantry.
The pantry serves about 200 people per week, a fraction of the nearly two million Illinoisans who receive SNAP benefits.
“If you’re in your 50s and you don’t have a lot of marketable skills, or you have a background, or you have some mobility issues, you can’t go to Amazon and carry those heavy boxes. A lot of the industries they worked in when they were younger, they no longer exist. Where are they going to go?” Gillespie said.
Those needing to see if they qualify for SNAP benefits under the new requirements can do so via this SNAP Work Requirements screener.
Information on the Greater Chicago Food Depository can be found here.
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