Illinois is distributing emergency payments to residents who lost or saw a reduction in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits following last year’s passage of President Donald J. Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,’ which implemented sweeping changes to the food assistance program.
On Aug. 1, SNAP recipients began receiving one-time emergency cash support of $400 under the state’s new Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger (FRESH) program. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) is disbursing the money.
There is no application process for the emergency funds. Residents whose SNAP benefits were impacted on or after May 1 due to Trump’s new work requirements are among those eligible for FRESH, according to the IDHS website. IDHS has a record of eligible individuals.
According to State Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago), over 100,000 Illinois residents have lost or are at risk of losing their SNAP benefits due to Trump’s attacks on the program. Trump’s bill instituted a new 80-hour-per-month work requirement, and removed exemptions for veterans, homeless individuals and young adults aging out of foster care, Sims added.
The senator, representing the South Side and south suburbs, said he fought tirelessly to pass the FRESH program.
“The creation of the FRESH Program is Illinois stepping up to help our neighbors with food insecurity when the federal government fails to,” Sims said. “This program provides immediate support for those who lost or received reduced SNAP benefits due to changing eligibility, ensuring that they will be able to put food on the table for themselves and their family.”
More details about the FRESH program are available on the Greater Chicago Food Depository website.
