SNAP benefits end Friday for 150,000 people in Illinois

As many as 150,000 Illinois SNAP participants will lose their benefits on Friday due to new, stricter eligibility rules in the Trump Administration's "One Big Beautiful Bill." 

The bill requires all able-bodied adults 64 or younger to meet new work requirements to keep their food stamp benefits by either working, volunteering, or going to school for at least 80 hours a month. 

The new requirements apply to people ages 18 to 64, including veterans and unhoused people. 

The Greater Chicago Food Depository says this will increase need. 

'We are going to provide more food to all of our pantries so that they can get ready," Danielle Perry, Greater Chicago Food Depository policy and advocacy vice president.

Perry said on average, the pantries are already seeing almost 200,000 households per month. Perry said this cut is only going to increase this number. 

Perry said anyone kicked out of the program can get back on by showing eligibility within a month. 

Camerin Mattson, the communications manager at The Greater Chicago Food Depository, said this is money community members have relied on and have qualified for in the past. 

"Less funds coming in for an expense that has only gotten higher in recent months," Mattson said. "It's going to put a real strain on families." 

Like The Greater Chicago Food Depository, West Suburban Community Pantry organizers in DuPage and Will counties say they are bracing for May 1.

"We're anticipating we're going to need more food so that we're able to get those families what they need," West Suburban Community Pantry CEO Maeven Sipes said.  "A hundred percent of our funding comes from private donations, and 80 percent of our food is donated. So, we are looking for the community to support us."