Thousands of people in Illinois are expected to begin losing federal food assistance beginning May 1 as part of an overhaul of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

In February, new and expanded work requirements for SNAP participants went into effect as part of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax bill that passed last summer. The changes call for “able-bodied” people to work or volunteer 80 hours a month — about four hours a day — to stay in the program.

This is the first year any work requirement has been in effect since at least March 2020 because the state previously had a waiver. Even before 2020, Illinois had a waiver for certain counties.

As of Tuesday, the Illinois Department of Human Services, the state agency that administers the program, estimated that 120,000 individuals were at risk of losing their benefits starting Friday and rolling out over the next several months. That’s down about 280,000 from what the state originally anticipated would be pushed out of the program as people received exemptions from the work rules.

Why will people lose benefits in May?

If a person is subject to work or volunteer rules and doesn’t meet them, they lose benefits after three months. The new rules went into effect in Illinois on Feb. 1. Overall, if you aren’t meeting the work rules, you can only get benefits for three months in a three-year period, according to IDHS.

Congress expanded the work rules to include 55- to 64-year-olds, veterans and parents whose youngest child is 14 years or older, down from 18 and older previously.

Community groups across Chicago have been working to create volunteer opportunities for individuals to meet the requirements. The state also has a website, https://serve.illinois.gov/, that offers SNAP recipients volunteer opportunities.

Can I still apply for an exemption?

“It’s not too late,” to apply for an exemption from the new rules, said Danielle Perry, vice president of policy and advocacy for the Greater Chicago Food Depository. “You can still reach out to the state, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and talk to them about your particular case.”

Individuals should have received a notice in the mail explaining that their benefits will be terminated because they have not met the new requirements, said Gwynne Kizer Mashon, associate director for the public benefits practice group at Legal Aid Chicago.

Individuals who are working should make sure the state knows their hours and wages. Kizer Mashon said people who earn at least $935 a month in gross income after self-employment expenses are exempt from meeting the full 80-hour requirement. Because of the minimum wage laws in the area, there are individuals who make $935 in less than 80 hours a month and won’t lose their benefits, she said.

The state developed a website, https://www.abe.illinois.gov, where you can check if you are eligible for an exemption, which includes people certified as physically or mentally unable to work.

If an individual can show they met the work requirements or filed an exemption for April, their benefits shouldn’t be stopped, Kizer Mashon said.

How do I join a workforce program?

The online Job Ready Illinois Workforce Program launched in April as a way for SNAP recipients to work toward meeting the 80-hour rule.

Through a private-public partnership, the online program has two versions of the workforce program targeting different areas, said Matthew Bruce, executive director of the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance. As the program expands, they plan to add material in different languages.

“It’s very much a work in progress because we launched it so quickly, but we wanted to have something — [IDHS] and the state wanted to have something — so that an [able- bodied person] who just couldn’t get to a work program or couldn’t get exempted for whatever reason, they could do this and not have a break in their SNAP eligibility,” Bruce said.

The program has videos on a variety of topics, ranging from executive skills to workplace expectations. Enrollees are expected to take part in an independent job search, and job-searching hours can count as part of the program. Each month, enrollees will receive certificates noting their hours with the program, up to the full 80 hours, or it can help a SNAP recipient who is juggling volunteer and work, Bruce said.

“We work with the workforce system all the time, and what we fundamentally see is an under-resourced workforce system,” Bruce said. “And so the fact that all of these able-bodied adults without dependents would be penalized, have their food benefits taken away from them, because our workforce system is under-resourced, and can’t serve them at the level it should be able to serve them, is really disconcerting.”

What can I do if my benefits stop?

“We’re going to have to fight to get people who got cut off back on, but we can do it,” said Perry from the food depository. “It’s not over even if that does happen to you and you lose your benefits.”

Understanding what to do next if you lose their benefits in May or later this year — and how to try to get them reinstated — is why Perry urges SNAP participants to stay in contact with the state.

People can appeal a termination, but in some cases it may be better to reapply for SNAP, said Kizer Mashon. An individual should be deemed eligible if they can prove they should have gotten an exemption or met the work requirement for the last 30 days, she said.

“They’ll lose those months they missed, but they’ll get back on going forward,” Kizer Mashon said. “We think there’s a fair number of people who will be losing benefits on May 1 who are losing them because they just didn’t realize that they were supposed to do something.”

People can prepare to challenge a termination by keeping logs showing their work or volunteer hours. Kizer Mashon said this will be particularly important for those who work odd jobs or are gig workers. A worker can also get a signed letter from the individual for whom they are doing odd jobs attesting to their hours.

To pursue an appeal, the deadline is 90 days from the date on the notice of termination issued by the Illinois Department Human Services by mail, Kizer Mashon said. The state usually tries to resolve the issue, but it could also entail multiple phone calls and exchanging documents.

Kizer Mashon recommends people seek out free legal help to appeal their case.

Who else is impacted by SNAP changes and what resources are there for them?

Another 16,000 people are expected to lose food assistance starting in April due to changes in eligibility, including refugees, people granted asylum and survivors of human trafficking.

Rehab Alkadi, of the Syrian Community Network, said they are working with other community groups to share information about programs or immediate assistance as it becomes available. Call 773-654-1218.

Nourishing Hope, which runs food pantries, is also helping individuals find resources like rental assistance or bus passes, said Lisa Mayse-Lillig, chief program officer. They also have a program called HOPE grant, which provides limited cash assistance to pay rent or emergency expenses. Call Nourishing Hope 773-525-1777, ext. 300.