SNAP RULES
ARE CHANGING
If you use a Link/EBT card, take action so you don’t lose your benefits.
Follow these steps to see if you are meeting new SNAP requirements or if you qualify for exemptions. Help is available!
NEED HELP BUYING GROCERIES?
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), formerly called food stamps, is a government program that allows families and individuals the choice to purchase the food they need for healthy lives. In Illinois, SNAP benefits are provided on a Link card that looks and works like a debit card. SNAP benefits help you and your family afford the healthy food you need to thrive.
SNAP IN CRISIS
Over 41 million Americans, including 2 million in Illinois, rely on SNAP to help pay for food and groceries when times are tough. Congress recently passed a budget bill that includes devastating cuts and changes to SNAP.
The $200 billion cut from SNAP will ripple across entire sectors, affecting families, food banks, farmers, grocers, schools, and local governments. Levels of food insecurity in our communities will skyrocket.
450,000+
Almost half a million Illinoisans, including families with children, are at risk of losing food access in 2026 due to new work reporting requirements.
54+
Parents with children older than 14, veterans, former foster youth, people experiencing homelessness, and others must now prove that they work for SNAP if they are over 54 years of age.
$800M
The state of Illinois will be required to contribute up to $800 million annually to keep the SNAP program intact or risk losing it entirely in 2028.
1 vs. 9
For every meal provided by a food bank or pantry, SNAP provides nine. The charitable food system cannot match the impact of SNAP.
$280M
If SNAP goes away, over $280 million a month in economic activity for local grocery stores, farmers, food producers and communities will be lost.
TAKE ACTION
Hunger in the United States is not the result of scarcity. It is the result of policy decisions and acceptance of poverty. To end hunger for good, we need strong public policy. Now is a crucial time to raise your voice and let elected officials know that you support hunger relief programs.
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Your voice matters. Elected officials need to hear from you about the importance of SNAP. Email your General Assembly members today and let them know that the state must step in to support our neighbors.
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Together, we can keep our neighbors informed and connected to critical benefits. Use our toolkit to share critical information with your community.
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Public policies impact real people in our community. Members of Congress need to know about the personal impact of SNAP on their constituents' lives to fight these harmful policies. Share your story of how SNAP impacts your family and community.
Food is not a privilege. It is a basic human right.
We stand ready to confront this emergency head-on, but we cannot do so alone. Help our neighbors navigate changes to their benefits and advocate to ensure SNAP keeps working for Illinois neighbors.