Cook County health officials are warning about the ripple effects to public health if thousands of residents lose access to one of the country’s largest food assistance programs for low-income households in the coming months.
About 400,000 Illinois residents could lose SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, by May 1 because of new work requirements, state officials say. The changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are part of President Donald Trump’s tax and spending plan approved by Congress last summer. Nearly 2 million Illinois residents are enrolled in the program.
The expanded work requirements now apply to people up to age 64, up from age 55; individuals who are homeless and veterans; and parents of teens 14 and older instead of 18 and older previously. Individuals will have to work or volunteer at least 80 hours per month to remain eligible.
Republicans see the new rules as a way to get more people to work and to reduce abuse of the program.
So far, about 100,000 people have filed for exemptions, which include people certified as physically or mentally unable to work or are in drug or alcohol treatment programs. But officials and community groups are trying to reach the thousands of others at risk of being pushed out of the program, Dulce Quintero, secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services, said Wednesday at Provident Hospital of Cook County Health on Chicago’s South Side.
Officials are urging residents to file an exemption before a Feb. 1 deadline.
A person who doesn’t meet the requirements can get benefits for only three months. After that three-month window, they will have to wait three years before reapplying.
“Food is not a luxury, it’s a basic human need, and it’s foundational to health, dignity and opportunity,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Wednesday at Provident Hospital. “When people have reliable access to nutritious food, they’re healthier, more stable and better able to care for their families and contribute to their communities.”
The new work rules come as residents also brace for changes to Medicaid next year, which could compound health consequences, such as individuals showing up to emergency rooms with more advanced illnesses, said Dr. Erik Mikaitis, chief executive officer of Cook County Health.
“Hunger is a medical issue. Limited or inconsistent access to nutritious food directly affects health outcomes, health care costs and quality of life,” Mikaitis said.
Food insecurity is linked to higher rates of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and kidney disease, he said.
Last November, SNAP recipients in Illinois and across the country lost their benefits for days when funding for the program was frozen during the historic federal government shutdown. Kate Maehr, executive director and CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, said that provided a glimpse into what happens when people lose access.
“We saw our neighbors, men and women, children, older adults, people who were coming on their way to work, who had to go from the pantry to work, sign up to stand in line for hours … to be able to get food,” Maehr said.
Shannon Andrews, the county’s chief equity and inclusion officer, said existing health disparities could worsen if fewer people have SNAP benefits. Andrews said the county is working with the food depository to increase access to nutritional food through two food pantries.
One at Provident Hospital is open weekly to patients and provides staples like eggs, black beans, fruits and oats. The two pantries — the other is at the Belmont Cragin Health Center — have served about 600 patients, said Afeefah Khan, food security program manager for Cook County Health. The pantries also provide dietitians to help patients with specialized meal plans and weight loss management.
Still, the efforts in Illinois may not be enough, officials said. Maehr said that food pantries cannot replace the food people receive through SNAP.
“We cannot fill the gap,” she said. “We need our leaders in Washington, D.C., frankly, to wake up and realize that this is foundational, that we must come together and we must ensure that everyone in our community has the food that they need and deserve to thrive.”
