CHICAGO/SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Human Services announced today that more than 450,000 Illinois households will receive additional Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits beginning this Tuesday, April 8th. All who are eligible for the additional benefits should receive them by April 20th. The additional funds are intended to help Illinoisans obtain food and support for their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The maximum SNAP benefit amounts will be implemented for April and May.
“No Illinoisan should ever have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, especially during an ongoing public health emergency,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Expanding the amount of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits people receive will help families stay safe and healthy in the coming months.”
Increased benefits will be automatically loaded onto SNAP recipients’ Link cards, and there is no need for anyone to re-apply, visit an office, or call. All new applications authorized in April will also receive the maximum allotment for their household size.
“We’re exploring every avenue we can to provide extra support for Illinoisans. IDHS has applied for several waivers to make it easier for people looking for food assistance,” said IDHS Secretary Grace B. Hou. “Less documentation is required, in-person requirements are waived, and now we’ll be able to increase the amounts loaded into Link cards by a significant amount for many families.”
The federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act gives states the option to provide SNAP households with the maximum SNAP allotment, which is based on household size. SNAP households which are not currently receiving the maximum allotment will receive additional SNAP benefits which bring their allotment amount to the maximum. Households already receiving the maximum benefit will not receive additional benefits.
Maximum amounts per household size are as follows:
| Number in SNAP household | Maximum benefit |
| 1 | $194 |
| 2 | $355 |
| 3 | $509 |
| 4 | $646 |
| 5 | $768 |
| 6 | $921 |
| 7 | $1,018 |
| 8 | $1,164 |
| Each additional person | Add $146 |
Illinois SNAP recipients receive their benefits at different times each month, so increased SNAP benefits will be loaded on different dates for SNAP recipients.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides food assistance to low-income people and families living in the United States. It is a federal aid program administered by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Distribution of benefits occurs at the state level.
