Full funding of SNAP benefits will ease an unprecedented crisis, but Congress must prioritize affordable healthcare
The reopening of the federal government has mixed impacts on our neighbors facing food insecurity. The resumption of full SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits will ease a painful and unnecessary crisis. Federal workers who have gone for more than a month without pay will also feel relief. However, we are deeply disappointed that a deal was not reached to extend enhanced premium tax credits for healthcare.
The Greater Chicago Food Depository welcomes the resumption of full SNAP benefits as soon as possible. To be clear, SNAP should never have been disrupted due to a government shutdown. This was unprecedented and unnecessary. The federal government has a legal and moral obligation to pay full SNAP benefits.
Over the past two weeks, hundreds of thousands of our neighbors have experienced additional stress and financial hardship due to delayed SNAP benefits. USDA has provided guidance to states to issue full November benefits immediately. Illinois has indicated that full benefits will start going out on Friday, Nov. 14 and all SNAP participants in Illinois will receive their full benefits by Nov. 20.
The Food Depository and anti-hunger advocates are concerned that the deal to reopen the federal government fails to include an extension of enhanced premium tax credits for healthcare. An estimated 418,000 people in Illinois rely on these credits to lower the cost of health insurance premiums. Without action before the end of 2025, healthcare expenses and the cost of living will rise for many of our neighbors at risk of food insecurity. This will force more families to make impossible choices between buying food or paying for healthcare. We urge Congress to prioritize protecting affordable healthcare.
During the government shutdown, the Food Depository and our partners have been responding to increased demand at pantries and other emergency food programs. Even with the government reopening, we are preparing for an ongoing hunger crisis. The delay in SNAP benefits set back families who were already struggling to make ends meet. At the same time, federal workers in the Chicago area are experiencing hardship and likely taking on household debt due to missed paychecks. We will continue to make sure food is available for all our neighbors who need it.
The hunger forced upon SNAP participants in recent weeks underscores the program’s role as an essential lifeline – and offers a stark preview of the challenges ahead. In the months to come, more of our neighbors will begin losing SNAP benefits due to new eligibility rules signed into law with the July 2025 federal budget reconciliation bill. As soon as December 1, an estimated 16,000 legally present immigrants in Illinois will begin losing their SNAP eligibility due to federal rule changes. In the spring of 2026, up to 450,000 Illinois SNAP participants could lose their benefits due to new work reporting requirements. The Food Depository is working collaboratively and with urgency to raise awareness of these changes, minimize loss of benefits, and prepare for additional need in the year to come.
The Food Depository’s response to this crisis has been fueled by a movement of generous supporters, loyal volunteers and advocates. We are thankful for every person who has stepped up in this time of unprecedented need. And we are forever grateful to our partners for their tireless work and commitment to serving the community.
While we are proud of our collective impact in recent weeks, there is no substitute for the federal safety net. We must continue raising our voices and advocating for SNAP, WIC, affordable healthcare and other solutions to the root causes of hunger. Visit our advocacy page to get involved.
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