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CHICAGO — Illinois residents who depend on SNAP benefits may start receiving their November allocations as early as Friday, following disruptions caused by the protracted federal government shutdown, which has now concluded.
The Illinois Department of Human Services has indicated that while some recipients might see benefits sooner, it could take until next week for all recipients to experience the changes.
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Among those breathing a sigh of relief is Natasha McClendon from Englewood, one of the many SNAP beneficiaries affected by the shutdown.
“It has been incredibly stressful,” McClendon shared, emphasizing the challenges faced during this period.
As a 49-year-old substitute teacher, McClendon has been supporting her disabled husband and their three children, turning to food pantries and giveaways to make ends meet, while she also pursued a second job.
“I even had to pack my own lunch for work,” she explained, “and it got to the point where I just skipped lunch altogether.”
The Illinois Department of Human Services, which distributes federal SNAP dollars, says recipients should receive all or remaining November benefits by Thursday, Nov. 20.
“We’re all moving as quickly as we can at the state level knowing that funds will flow or are flowing,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said.
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“We’ve seen in these weeks the lines, the need, the outcry from our neighbors… the fragile state of food insecurity in our nation,” said Camerin Mattson with the Greater Chicago Food Depository
The Greater Chicago Food Depository is reporting a nearly 40% rise in the number of visitors at its network of hundreds of pantries in the past month.
“The past couple of weeks have been a really stark object lesson in how important SNAP is to our neighbors… and how many people are one paycheck… away from needing extra assistance,” Mattson said.
The Illinois Department of Human Services issued the following public notification Thursday afternoon:
“IDHS is restoring full USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits now that the federal government shutdown has ended.
“IDHS anticipates that the remaining benefit payments will be made over the coming days, with all SNAP recipients receiving their full November benefits by Nov. 20.
“The lapse in SNAP funding created unnecessary hardship for 1.9 million Illinoisans and businesses who rely on this federally funded program. The crisis was entirely avoidable – the Trump Administration had the funding to fully support SNAP but chose not to, putting tens of millions of Americans at risk of hunger.
“SNAP information and food resources are available here: SNAP Federal Impact Center.”
