FRESH program would provide one-time SNAP cash; critics question cost
[February 14, 2026]
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – As new federal work requirements for the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program take effect this month,
Illinois lawmakers are considering a state-run program that would
provide cash assistance to families whose benefits are reduced or
stopped for failing to meet the rules.
House Bill 4730, known as the Families Receiving Emergency Support for
Hunger program, would offer one-time payments to eligible households via
EBT card.
Payments would be calculated in one of two ways – if SNAP is reduced,
the household would receive three times the difference between their
former benefit and the reduced amount; if SNAP is terminated, families
would receive three times their last full monthly benefit.
TCS reached out to bill sponsor state Rep. Dagmara Avelar,
D-Bolingbrook, for comment but did not receive a response.
Brian Costin is the state director for Americans for
Prosperity-Illinois.
"I’m skeptical of lump-sum payments like this. There’s little evidence
that giving recipients a large amount at once is effective policy.
Suddenly, recipients would have a large sum on their EBT card, which
could create even more opportunities for fraud than exist now. Illinois
should be focusing on SNAP fraud and program integrity, which could have
major financial impacts if left unaddressed,” said Costin.
Costin emphasized the importance of integrating able-bodied adults
without children into the workforce or volunteer activities, pointing to
bipartisan welfare reforms in the 1990s as a model.
“We should be helping people re-enter life and not warehousing them in
dependency and calling it compassion,” he said. “It’s not empowerment to
trap people in welfare forever.”
The 1996 bipartisan welfare reforms, often called the Gingrich-Clinton
reforms, overhauled the U.S. system and limited most recipients to five
years of federal assistance.
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A carton of large eggs rests on a kitchen stove. Photo: Alan Wooten
/ The Center Square
Costin raised concerns about both the program’s structure and its
potential long-term implications.
“This could easily become a permanent program, even though it’s set
to expire in 2028,” he said. “Is this something that they're trying
to do permanently, or is this kind of like a short-term political
gimmick? Maybe they’re just trying to get a press pop about doing
something to counter federal cuts under Trump,” said Costin.
Costin also pointed to Illinois’ ongoing struggles with SNAP fraud
and program errors.
“Illinois already has higher-than-average error and fraud rates,” he
said. “Adding a new program on top of that, without fixing the
existing system, is throwing more taxpayer money into a broken
program.”
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, Illinois’ SNAP
payment error rate reached about 11.56% in fiscal year 2024, higher
than the national average of roughly 10.93% and worse than in most
other states.
The elevated error rate has significant consequences. Under recent
federal changes, states with error rates above 10% could be required
to reimburse a substantial share of SNAP benefits, potentially
costing Illinois hundreds of millions of dollars if the rate isn’t
reduced.
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