Kenneth Robinson has gotten used to counting dollars and cents at the grocery store.
He can afford eggs with the $150 he receives a month in SNAP benefits, so they stay in his cart. Ground beef or fish, on the other hand, may have to go back on the shelf after he counts prices in line, the 61-year-old Englewood resident said.
“I struggled most of my life. A lot of things are too high, out of my budget,” Robinson said Monday morning at a news conference at Chosen Bethel Family Ministries’ food pantry. “SNAP helps me ease the pain and get those things that I need.”
These calculations are about to get more complicated for Robinson and potentially hundreds of thousands of other Illinois residents, with new SNAP work requirements set to go into effect Sunday. As the deadline looms, officials urged those on SNAP to notify the Illinois Department of Human Services of their work status or eligible exemptions so as not to risk losing benefits.
Adults ages 55 to 64, and parents without children younger than 14, will be required to prove they’re working, volunteering or participating in job training for at least 80 hours a month to keep their SNAP benefits, according to IDHS.
These groups were exempt from work requirements prior to President Donald Trump signing into law last year the sweeping “One Big Beautiful Bill.” It also repealed work exemptions for homeless individuals and veterans. Up to 340,000 Illinoisans could be affected, IDHS said.
“Trump’s budget bill is designed to deliberately prevent Americans and Illinoisans from receiving assistance through the SNAP program by implementing new requirements that burden states and individuals who rely on this 100 percent federally funded benefits resource,” IDHS said in a statement.
SNAP participants who qualify for work-requirement exemptions — like having a child under 14 or a medically certified disability — should alert IDHS immediately to avoid losing benefits, said Camerin Mattson, a spokesperson for the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Those who don’t qualify for an exemption will need to prove they’ve met the work requirement.
Either way, a form to submit to IDHS and more information can be found at saveoursnap.org, she said.
It’s imperative that participants notify IDHS as soon as possible, Mattson said, because adults who don’t meet the work requirements (or alert the department of an exemption) can only get food stamps for three months in a three-year period. The clock starts on Feb. 1, meaning individuals could lose benefits entirely by May.
Robinson is worried he may not be able to meet these new requirements. Robinson, who has a criminal record of various drug charges, said he struggles to find a consistent job because of his history and his age. He said he works odd jobs as much as he can, like security or maintenance.
“A second chance, that’s all I’m asking for, give me a chance,” Robinson said. “People think it’s all people who don’t want to work, lazy people, that’s not me.”
Robinson said he was also cut off from food stamps in November as the longest government shutdown in history lumbered on. Nearly 2 million people across the state — and more than 40 million nationwide — were left scrambling during the federal back-and-forth on funding. He said he struggled to celebrate Thanksgiving because he didn’t know how he’d afford turkey or other food.
Robinson volunteers about five hours a week at Chosen Bethel Family Ministries’ food pantry, where he also relies on food donations. For around two years, he’s unloaded boxes, set up tables and connected with others over “how we’re being hurt by the administration cutting things.” He believes God will help lead to a solution.
“I do want to work. I do want to add to my legacy and be a part of other people’s lives and be a part of society,” he said. “So I volunteer. It’s the only place that will have me to work.”
The Rev. Sandra Gillespie, the assistant pastor at Chosen Bethel Family Ministries, said many of her clients are in a similar situation as Robinson and they’re “terrified.” She spends time with clients searching for jobs on Indeed or for other volunteer opportunities. But the options are slim for those with a criminal background, mobility issues or minimal work experience.
Because many of the changes are confusing, many clients also don’t fully understand the new requirements, she said. Her food pantry, which is open Mondays and Thursdays, serves about 200 families per week. They give out canned goods, meat, fruit and more.
“What’s scary is the look on their faces when I say, ‘You could potentially lose your SNAP for three years,’” Gillespie said. “That is ridiculous.”
She said she’s been struggling for months to keep up with demand. Between a tough economy and the government shutdown, people have been lining up outside. They may have to limit the amount of food given to each person or limit the number of days they can visit if the crowd continues to grow.
“This past Thursday, when the wind chill was 20 below zero, we did over 100 people who stood in line for a couple hours,” Gillespie said. “Another (300), 400 people, that’s not sustainable for us.”
Indeed, for every meal provided by the Feeding America network of food banks, SNAP provides the equivalent of nine meals, said Mattson, with the Greater Chicago Food Depository. She said food pantries can serve as temporary stopgaps, but can’t replace SNAP.
“When you take that support away, it’s going to create a need we were never designed to meet,” Mattson said.
Gillespie said she hopes the government rethinks the SNAP requirements because food is “basic human right.”
“We want to make sure that all of our people are able to eat and that they are able to get not just anything, but nutritious, healthy food,” Gillespie said.
