Chicago organizations brace for greater need amid changes to SNAP benefits

Social service agencies are bracing for a possible uptick in demand for resources once emergency funds that provide individuals with additional food benefits end.

About 2 million people in Illinois who receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will receive their last emergency allotment in February, according to social service providers. Since April 2020, participants had been receiving the emergency allotment in addition to their regular SNAP benefits as part of COVID-19 relief efforts.

The federal government ended the emergency funds in late December when the Consolidated Appropriations Act was signed into law. In Illinois, the change means that participants will receive the last emergency allotment in February, according to a news release from the Illinois Department of Human Services. Starting in March, program participants will only receive their regular SNAP monthly benefit.

SNAP, which was once commonly known as food stamps, provides monthly funds for individuals to buy food.

The emergency allotment varied case by case, but it typically ranged from $55 to $255, said Sophie Milam, vice president of public policy at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Milam said the organization thinks the change will lead to a greater demand for services at food pantries and drives.

“Our network of food pantries and food access partners is already seeing a significantly increased need,” Milam said. “We believe a lot of that is being driven by food inflation, and so cutting SNAP benefits is going to leave only more households struggling to make ends meet and more households turning to pantries to help make ends meet.”

Over the last 12 months, prices for major grocery store items such as meats, fish and eggs increased by about 7.7%, according to a summary published in January by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

At the Greater Chicago Food Depository, they’ve tried to get the word out about the changes to SNAP benefits, and they are also seeing if families could qualify for more benefits, Milam said.

“Has their income gone down, has the cost of housing or child care gone up,” Milam said. “A family that has experienced some of those changes, they could be eligible for more benefits, and we want to make sure they’re fully maximizing the benefits that they’re eligible for.”

They are also helping people figure out where is their nearest pantry in case they do need to supplement their groceries, Milam said. The organization has a map of affiliated food pantries at https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/find-food/#find-food.

At Erie Neighborhood House, a Chicago nonprofit organization that services immigrant and low-income families, workers have also been providing individuals with information about their nearest food pantry. It also provides meals and snacks to children enrolled in their programs.

“We do that legwork for the client — especially if they don’t speak English, it can sometimes be hard to navigate those systems,” said Roberto Mendez, the director of communications for Erie Neighborhood House.

Lorien Ramirez, the public benefits coordinator at Erie Neighborhood House, said families are worried that they will soon receive decreased benefits. The organization has been emphasizing techniques to budget the monthly benefit along with resources for where to get coupons.

“For the people that did receive the extra money, it helped a lot because of inflation,” Ramirez said. “So it was a really big relief for families to receive that extra money.”

Elvia Malagón’s reporting on social justice and income inequality is made possible by a grant from the Chicago Community Trust.