The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced that per the federal USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits would return to pre-pandemic levels beginning in March 2023.
These federal changes impact one million families and two million people in Illinois. Nearly half of the states across the country have already ended their SNAP emergency allotments ahead of the federal change, while Illinois will sustain benefits through February when the federal increases expire.
SNAP emergency allotments have been issued since the beginning of the Covid-19 public health emergency to address food insecurity challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. These increased benefits will end after February 2023 and return to pre-pandemic levels in March. With the end of emergency benefits, SNAP participants will see benefits reduced anywhere from $95 to $250 per person per month. The reduction in SNAP benefits is a result of a federal policy change.