Federal officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture have informed all states that it will not fund November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program -- or SNAP -- benefits if the federal government shutdown continues.
As a result, SNAP customers will not have access to any new food benefits starting on November 1, unless the government is re-opened.
SNAP is a 100 percent federally funded benefit and the federal government withholding payments to the state would impact all 1.9 million recipients in Illinois. The state administers more than $350 million in SNAP benefits each month, funding that feeds families in every corner of the State.
If SNAP funds are not delivered by the federal government, the State of Illinois says it does not have the money to backfill these resources.
