Thousands Of IL Residents To Get $400 After Losing SNAP Benefits

Illinois residents who recently lost SNAP benefits because of expanded federal work requirements are expected to begin receiving one-time $400 food assistance payments starting Aug. 1 through a new state program called FRESH.

The program, Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger, was created by the State of Illinois in 2026 in response to President Donald Trump's cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

In 2025, Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act made the largest cut to SNAP benefits in history, an estimated $187 billion in federal spending. The legislative change also shifted the financial and administrative burdens onto state governments.

In May, Illinois appropriated $70 million for the FRESH program, which is intended to provide a one-time emergency payment to 120,000 people who have already lost SNAP benefits due to expanded federal work requirements, along with tens of thousands more expected to lose SNAP over the next year.

The temporary state program is described as a bridge for households dealing with the loss of food assistance while they work to meet employment, volunteer, or education requirements needed to keep or regain benefits. According to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, more than 41 million Americans, including 2 million in Illinois, rely on SNAP to help pay for food.

“FRESH benefits will be a lifeline for Illinoisans struggling with high food, housing, and gas costs. But our work is far from over: for the first time in SNAP’s 60-year history, the federal government is shifting costs to states, forcing Illinois to shoulder up to $800 million a year beginning in October 2027 to preserve SNAP. Many SNAP participants also face cuts to Medicaid and other healthcare while struggling to afford safe housing,” the Greater Chicago Food Depository said.

There is no application process for FRESH, as the Illinois Department of Human Services maintains records of eligible individuals and will contact those individuals directly. An estimated 100,000 eligible Illinois residents should see the one-time $400 deposit automatically added to their LINK cards beginning Aug. 1.

If a person no longer has a LINK card, IDHS says a replacement can be requested through EBTedge.com or by calling the LINK Hotline at 1-800-678-LINK (5465).

The FRESH program will end in July 2027 or when all funds are spent.