SNAP RULES
HAVE CHANGED
If you use a Link/EBT card, take action to keep or recover your benefits.
A PUBLIC POLICY VICTORY
Following the passage of the FY27 state budget, the Save Our SNAP Coalition is proud to have championed the creation of the Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger (FRESH) program, which will provide $400 in one-time emergency assistance to up to 175,000 Illinoisans who have lost SNAP benefits due to expanded federal work requirements. This budget also provides temporary relief to many people affected by federal cuts and preserves funding for the existing VTTC (Victims of Torture, Trafficking, and Other Serious Crimes) Food program, rejecting a proposed $15M cut.
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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.
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Safety net programs, such as SNAP, are the most impactful tools to reduce poverty and improve the health of our neighbors. New federal restrictions and requirements for these programs will increase hunger and poverty. Contact your representatives and demand they introduce efforts to roll back these changes and support Illinois families.
Learn more about meeting SNAP work requirements, qualifying for exemptions, or get support recovering your benefits. 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.
250,000+
Thousands of 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.
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.