Food pantries prepare as SNAP benefits to end in Illinois next month if government shutdown continues
Nearly two million people in Illinois will be cut off from food stamps come Nov. 1, if the federal government remains shut down.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it won't fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, cutting off a major lifeline to feed chicago area families.
Food banks are calling the move an "inevitable crisis."
With no end in sight for the government to reopen, food pantries are telling their clients to plan ahead, and have a second option ready.
"It's something we had feared but now it's a reality."
Without SNAP, food banks will be the first place families turn to, according to Man-Yee Lee with the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
"Our food pantries are going to be overwhelmed with SNAP participants who rely on that critical lifeline for support and for basic food assitance," she said.
SNAP provides low-income residents with prepaid cards to buy groceries. The Illinois Department of Human Services said it was notified last week by the USDA that November benefits won't be funded unless the shutdown ends.
"A lot of these were talking about are children and also older adults who arent able to work," Lee said.
That means Illinois could lose about $350 million in assistance for 1.9 million recipients statewide. Lee said food pantries across Cook County are urging families to prepare now.
"We're asking the to make sure they have a backup plan because they're not going to get the food assistance that they need," she said.
At the Pilsen Food Pantry, Dr. Evelyn Figueroa said they're bracing for bigger crowds in November. For some families, their twice-a-month visit here is the only way they can put food on the table.
"We're going to need to buy more, we're not going to try to give people less because that's not right," she said.
It's a double blow for SNAP recipients. The new federal law expanding work requirements to get benefits is also taking effect three months earlier than expected. The same week SNAP benefits are expected to hit pause.
"This is a human issue and we all need to understand that none of us should be arguing over food. Food is a human right," Dr. Figueroa said.
IDHS said 45% of SNAP households in Illinois include children, and 44% include someone with a disability.
Food banks say if funding isn't restored, this could have a ripple effect on communities across the county.