New Illinois law expands SNAP access to more low-income families

Food Depository advocates asked lawmakers to support S.B. 1847 during Lobby Day in Springfield last May.

An Illinois law that took effect January 1 will enable more low-income families to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

Senate Bill 1847 increases the SNAP income limit from 130 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 165 percent of FPL. The expanded limit provides access to SNAP for families that were making slightly too much to qualify for the program but still struggling. It is estimated that the new law will enable 40,000 previously ineligible families to receive SNAP benefits.

Food Depository staff, volunteers and partner agencies encouraged lawmakers to support the bill during Lobby Day in Springfield last May. It passed through the General Assembly with bipartisan support and was signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner in July.

For more information about the Food Depository’s advocacy efforts, visit chicagosfoodbank.org/advocacy.

Report shows SNAP provides lifeline for families and support for the economy

Karen lost her job more than a year ago. As she traveled across the Southwest Suburbs looking for work, she was devastated to hear from her husband Rob that he had also lost his job at a warehouse. Already struggling to make ends meet in the face of rising food and fuel costs, the family was unsure where their next meal would come from. Fortunately, Karen applied for, and began to receive benefits through SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps. SNAP has helped her family stretch their limited budget to pay for bills while putting food on the table.

A new report from the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC) emphasizes the importance of SNAP in the lives of unemployed Americans like Karen and Rob. The report Lifeline for Families, Support for the Economy: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, notes that SNAP provides an 18 percent boost to income for those families with an individual who was been unemployed for more than six months, and is one of the few sources of aid for those unemployed individuals who have exhausted their unemployment benefits. 

The report also explains how SNAP provides a boost to the economy by supporting consumer spending and saving jobs. “As cash-strapped recipients quickly spend benefits, the impact is felt by grocers, truck drivers, food production workers, and farmers…SNAP allows retailers and others to retain employees who might otherwise have been let go.” According to USDA estimates, $1 in SNAP benefits increases GDP by $1.79, and $1 billion in SNAP benefits generate as many as 17,900 full-time jobs. Read the full report to learn more about the link between unemployment and SNAP participation and the spillover benefits for the economy as a whole.

 With one in six Americans struggling to put food on the table, SNAP is more important than ever, yet funding and access to the program are at risk. As Congress works to reduce the federal deficit and the Farm Bill comes up for reauthorization next year, it is important to keep SNAP strong. Please join the Greater Chicago Food Depository in urging Members of Congress to oppose any cuts or structural changes to SNAP and other anti-hunger programs in the budget and the Farm Bill. Visit the Food Depository’s Advocacy Center for more information on how you can take action in support of SNAP.

SNAP Matters to Public Health!

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps) is the nation's primary nutrition assistance program. Last year, the Greater Chicago Food Depository's SNAP Outreach Program staff assisted nearly 2,300 households with the completion and submission of their SNAP applications to the Department of Human Services during visits to food pantries and older adult sites.

Recently, Craig Gundersen, a University of Illinois economist, stressed that social safety net programs, like SNAP, that reduce psychological stressors for low-income families also ultimately lead to a reduction in childhood obesity. Gundersen says:

"If we cut back on benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or otherwise reduce its availability to people, that would increase the amount of stress that low-income families would face, which would then subsequently lead to increases in obesity."

Research shows that our work to connect individuals and families in Cook County with SNAP benefits not only reduces hunger, but also plays an integral role in improving public health. Click here to learn more about SNAP Outreach at the Food Depository.