Much needed relief in food assistance is expected to arrive Friday in Illinois following a legal battle over if the Trump administration should fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during a historic government shutdown.
Partial benefits for those who were supposed to receive them Nov. 1 through 6 will be sent out starting Friday, the Illinois Department of Human Services told the Sun-Times in a statement. However, it warned some customers’ benefits will be reduced to nothing by President Donald Trump’s administration even with the updated payment schedule.
The news comes after a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to find the money to fully fund the food assistance program for November. But late Thursday, the Trump administration filed a notice of appeal in the case, according to a filing provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“The Trump Administration has already filed an appeal,” IDHS said in an emailed statement. “We await further guidance from the federal government and the courts. Illinois stands ready to issue full benefit payments.”
SNAP recipients who typically receive funds to buy groceries in the first six days of the month will receive the partial payments over the next six days, according to IDHS, which administers the program in the state. Those who usually get benefits after the 7th of the month should receive the partial benefits on their regular date.
At most, recipients are expected to receive 65% of what they typically receive for the month, but some households will receive less or nothing at all, according to IDHS.
In Illinois, nearly 2 million people receive SNAP benefits, which were previously commonly known as food stamps. The state typically receives $350 million to administer the program to households.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. on Thursday was in response to a challenge from cities and nonprofits complaining that the administration was only offering to cover 65% of the maximum benefit. The government said it will rely on $4.65 billion in emergency funding. The Trump administration said last month that it would not pay benefits at all for November because of the federal shutdown.
“The defendants failed to consider the practical consequences associated with this decision to only partially fund SNAP,” McConnell said. “They knew that there would be a long delay in paying partial SNAP payments and failed to consider the harms individual who rely on those benefits would suffer.”
The Trump administration said last month that it would not pay benefits at all for November because of the federal shutdown. Then last week, two judges ordered the government to pay at least partial benefits using an emergency fund. It initially said it would cover half, but then said it would cover 65%.
Across Chicago, community groups, neighbors and restaurants have been doing what they can to fill in the gap for those who went days without the funds they typically receive to buy groceries. At least 24 Chicago-area restaurants stepped up to provide free or discounted meals while SNAP recipients waited for the funds to be dispersed.
Casey He contributed.