The impact of federal cuts to SNAP and changes in the bureaucratic processes to stay in the food security program are starting to hit. Beyond Hunger, the largest food pantry serving the West Side and near west suburbs, is offering one-on-one coaching for those who have already lost access or fear they will be cut from SNAP.
“There are certainly clients and neighbors that say they have lost their benefits, and then there are some clients that don’t tell us,” said Lorena Alvarez, Beyond Hunger community engagement and benefits coordinator.
“I think that they don’t let us know just because they may think there isn’t something they can do,” she said. “Is it worth it to apply and get exemptions? Some people have said they can’t provide documentation. Someone who has a physical barrier to working and it’s undiagnosed, they choose not to report it because they think it’s not going to be approved.”
Helping to overcome the worry and the newly built in obstacles to SNAP access is now a focus for Alvarez and her colleague Aida Ayala. The pair work as benefits coordinators at Beyond Hunger.
The implications of new requirements to qualify for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture have been substantial for area residents.
Funding for SNAP benefits was cut completely last November for about a week in wake of the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which caused panic. But on May 1, the double whammy was when SNAP benefit requirements changed.
As of that date, any able-bodied adult without dependents had to start logging 80 hours of work per month, or they would lose their SNAP benefits.
Yes, there are opportunities for exemption from the rule, such as household size, number of dependents and income, but a major challenge for many is retaining benefits. Every six months, residents on SNAP must renew their benefits by reporting their working status. Work could be paid or unpaid employment, volunteering with an approved qualifying work program or participating in community service.
That has placed the Oak Park food pantry in a unique position, said Jennie Hull, the organization’s CEO. She said her agency had 183 new households come forward for food in May, up from the usual 100-120.
“Really, it’s combatting all this fear and educating people how they can keep their benefits,” she said, “making sure people don’t miss opportunities and reporting.”
“The purpose of me and Aida is that we are here to reduce that barrier,” said Alvarez. “Someone expresses to us they lost their benefits, we help them make a request for an exemption and with the paperwork for the Illinois Department of Human Services.”
The federal program is administered at the state level.
Hull said the state has done an admirable job through its Job Ready Illinois program of helping would-be SNAP beneficiaries meet its work requirements. Its website provides a treasure trove of work and volunteering opportunities, approved work programs, education opportunities and other resources.
Another requirement for SNAP benefits is particularly vexing for homeless people.
“With the new rules, it wasn’t enough to be homeless to be exempt,” Alvarez said. “You need a mental or physical barrier or another form of exemption.”
Being homeless in and of itself is a barrier to work, she said.
Hull said there is the perception that those on SNAP – who receive their benefits through an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card – are lazy and simply want a handout. That’s simply not true, she said.
“The people who are affected by this aren’t people who don’t want to work,” she said. “Some of these people are transiently housed. They’d like to be able to work and not go to a food pantry. These are people with so many things happening in their lives.”
The key for residents who have lost SNAP benefits or are fearful they will is to understand where they stand, which is how Beyond Hunger can help.
“If they are local, come to Beyond Hunger and reach out to our benefits services team,” Alvarez said. “We can screen them to see if they are eligible for SNAP and if they’ve lost their benefits but are still eligible, we can screen them to see if they can get an exemption, and we can refer them to a place that has work.”