Federal food assistance changes threaten benefits for thousands of
Illinoisans
[July 09, 2025]
By Ben Szalinski
Hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans could lose benefits from a federal
food assistance program while the state will be required to cover more
costs under changes passed in the latest domestic policy plan.
President Donald Trump signed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” into law
on July 4, making sweeping changes to social services programs,
including Medicaid. Among the programs being revamped is the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP. The
bill institutes new work requirements for many people to remain eligible
for benefits and shifts some costs for the program to the states.
Food stamps were first established in the 1930s during the Great
Depression. Renamed to SNAP in 2008, the program provides monthly
stipends for low-income Americans to purchase select foods at grocery
stores. While states implement the program and pay a portion of
administrative expenses, the federal government has historically covered
the cost of the benefits.
Under the law, work requirements to qualify for SNAP benefits have been
expanded to include people up to age 64, along with homeless people,
veterans and young adults leaving foster care. Previously, only people
age 18-54 had to meet work requirements.
Those populations didn’t previously have to prove they were doing a
certain amount of work, but when the changes kick in, they will have to
do 80 hours of paid, unpaid or volunteer work each month to qualify for
benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The law
continues to provide exemptions for people who are physically unable to
work, such as for pregnancy.
The changes could leave 360,000 people in Illinois at risk of losing
eligibility, according to the state.
“Trump and Republicans would rather children go hungry so their friends
can receive tax cuts,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement. “Here in
Illinois, we have been working to combat food insecurity for years, and
while no state can backfill these costs, the State of Illinois will
continue to fight against these harmful impacts and stand up for working
families.”
About 1.9 million people were using SNAP in Illinois as of March 2025,
according to the USDA.
New costs for the state
Illinois and most other states will have to cover a greater portion of
costs for SNAP under the law, including benefits based on the state’s
error rate of over- and under-payments on benefits.
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Fruits and vegetables are pictured at a County Market grocery store
in Springfield. The items are eligible for purchase under the
federal SNAP program. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew
Campbell)
Beginning in federal fiscal year 2028, which begins in October 2027, the
law requires states with an error rate greater than 10% as of at least
FY25 to cover 15% of the cost of benefits. States with lower error rates
would cover a smaller portion of the benefits. Illinois recorded an 11%
error rate in FY24, according to the USDA.
More than 1.8 million Illinoisians received $4.7 billion of SNAP
benefits in FY25, according to the state. If Illinois must pay 15% of
the cost of benefits, it could leave the state on the hook for $705
million — or about 1.3% of the current-year budget.
Also beginning in federal fiscal year 2027, which begins in October
2026, states will have to cover 75% of administrative costs for SNAP,
rather than 50%. This year’s state budget appropriates $60 million for
administrative costs for SNAP — up $20 million from last year.
The changes are part of initiatives by congressional Republicans and the
Trump administration to shift more responsibility for assistance
programs to states. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office
estimates changes to SNAP will reduce federal spending by $279 billion
over 10 years but increase state spending on SNAP by $121 billion over
the same time. The CBO predicts some states could abandon the program or
choose to provide a lower level of benefits and not make up for
reductions Congress made to the program.
Pritzker and 22 other governors sent a letter to Congress last month
saying it’s possible states will have to leave or reduce the SNAP
program because of the new cost requirements.
Capitol News Illinois is
a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government
coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily
by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
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