Major change impacting SNAP eligibility takes effect Feb. 1
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Local and state health leaders warned SNAP recipients about some major changes coming down the pike.
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It's estimated that close to 2 million people living in Illinois rely on SNAP benefits to help get food on the table.
However, changes are set to begin Feb. 1, following new eligibility guidance outlined in President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill."
"We are here today because food is not a luxury. It's a basic human need," Cook County Commission President Toni Preckwinkle said.
Cook County State health leaders and the Greater Chicago Food Depository held a news conference to make sure current SNAP benefit recipients can anticipate the sweeping changes.
In the changes, adults 18 to 64 without dependents under 14 must be working, participating in SNAP Employment and Training programs or volunteering for at least 80 hours per month to receive the benefits.
Adults who do not meet the working requirements can only get SNAP for three months in a three-year period.
SNAP recipients must also continue to update their income and household information to ensure they are receiving the correct benefits.
On May 1, those who have not received SNAP for three months and are not exempt from work requirements will lose benefits.
Effective April 1, some immigrants who previously qualified are no longer eligible for SNAP. That includes refugees, asylees, certain human trafficking victims, among others.
As SNAP changes are set to go into effect, Cook County Health leaders also discussed "Food as Medicine" programs designed to address food insecurity and improve health outcomes, hoping to keep people healthy and well-fed.
People who care for a dependent under the age of 14 are still exempt from the working requirements, but it's important to know if you are affected by the changes.
To see a one-sheet on the SNAP requirement changes, click here.
