>> Nearly 2 million Illinois residents face losing their snap benefits, including close to 900,000 in Cook County.

That's if Congress fails to pass a budget by November.

1st, the federal government has been without a budget since October 1st making this one of the longest government shutdowns ever.

The U.S.

Department of Agriculture says it will not use emergency funds to prop up the supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during the shutdown.

Joining us to talk about this are No in Downey senior director of policy at the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Arbery Lewandowski's, local SNAP recipients.

And We have professor Lindsay Allen, a health economist and policy researcher at Northwestern University's School of Medicine.

Thanks to all of you for joining us.

So we know that Illinois is among the 25 states that are suing the Trump administration over this free zone.

Snap commonly known as food stamps.

The USDA said in a memo that, quote, contingency funds are not legally available to cover regular benefits.

Snap contingency funds are only available to supplement regular monthly benefits when amounts have been appropriated for but are insufficient to cover benefits.

The contingency fund is not available to support fiscal year 2026.

Regular benefits because the appropriation for regular benefits no longer exists.

Nolan SNAP benefits had been available during previous past government shutdowns.

Why is this one any different?

>> We don't believe this one should be different.

We agree with those.

25 other states that the federal government has the resources, the experience and the ability to fund snap, even if the government shutdown persists to be very clear, they have snapped contingency funds that are they're exactly for this purpose.

And they have a number of other funds if they get deployed to make sure that people do not go hungry in November at the Food depository, we say that hunger is a policy choice.

And right now the federal government is making the choice to let people go hungry in November.

>> Lindsey Allen with a program like SNAP is suspended.

What's the economic impacts both on families but also their communities.

>> It's larger you might expect.

So snap is not just, you know, a lifeline and part of the social safety net for Americans.

It also is a huge economic driver in communities.

So we're missing out on 8 billion dollars for the month of November of Congress.

Can't get this sorted out.

That won't be going into local communities.

>> Right.

We just heard from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association yesterday also sort of preparing their members for the confusion that might be coming forward.

If those if those debit cards are no longer working starting this weekend, Aubrey, you have been using SNAP benefits for about 2 years.

what are you thinking?

How are you getting ready for this potential loss?

>> Just trying to plan ahead as much as I can.

I have 4 children between 4 and 13 just making sure they have enough healthy, nutritious things to eat planning out.

Like I have friends that are working with me, too.

And we're kind of meal prepping planning each meal to know that we have enough to make ends meet.

If indeed the shutdown does continue and we don't get our funds November.

>> For kids, that's a big family.

And you 2 of them with special needs.

So what is at stake for them?

Because from what I understand, one of your sons has autism level and kids with autism can be picky about about food.

It's not just picking it is it is a real, real consideration for you as a mom.

Yeah, it Because while I can use utilize the food pantry is mentioned to assist in additional things on top of the benefits that a lot of things that aren't always readily available.

for pantries.

A lot of the not a lot of more perishable things like.

>> Eggs milk cheese.

Pat in the child who does have sensory processing and food versions like I can only feed him certain things.

And I rely on those benefits to make sure that he has everything he needs as well as all my children.

They're all active growing kids.

Yeah, but it obviously >> so yesterday Governor Pritzker addressed what the state can and can't do to support residents who depend on snap.

Here's a little bit about.

>> Do a lot to support our food pantries and other organizations that are privately operated but their nonprofit organizations that support nutrition and food for people across the state, it's not as much as snap.

Because we can't afford to do with the federal government.

Can, but it is what we can do.

And we are, in fact, working in Springfield right now to make sure that we're prepared.

>> So no can the Greater Chicago Food depository, canned food pantries, the community can you will meet the needs of this moment.

>> Unfortunately, we can't.

And while we're so grateful for the additional support that the governor mentioned, we know that for every meal that we provide snap provides 9.

So this is not at the scale that we're able to meet.

As the governor pointed out, we can't replace nap at the food depository.

And while we're going to do everything we can to make sure that people in our service area, Cook County, who walk into pantries are able to leave with the food that they need.

We know that at the end of the day, people are going to go hungry.

If they don't get their snap benefits.

>> Don't say more about that.

What does that mean for families like Aubrey's in the 900,000 others in Cook County who could be losing benefits this weekend where there's an immense amount at stake.

You know, we're talking about 1.9 million people in the state, 350 million dollars each month from snap tickets injected into our state economy.

This is just simply not at the level that we have the food depository are able to meat and I want to be clear.

I mean, we're very proud of the work that we've been able to do during periods of heightened community need.

We were there for people during COVID.

We were there for new arrivals when they were coming into the city and we will do everything we can to be there for people this weekend and beyond.

We can't replace nap.

>> Lindsay critics of this kind of federal assistance say that, you know, government funded social services discourage work.

What do we know about the connection between snap and employment and economic mobility?

>> We know that facts are that actually see snap as an economic engine for people.

typically when we're trying to get people into the workforce, the best way to do is make sure that they're and healthy and can show up every day to do their job.

Same with children.

You can't have kids going to school every day hungry or they're just not going to be as focused and not be able focus on getting education, which is a kid's shops.

So I think thinking of this as a way to prevent any sort of waste or fraud in that system is missing the point in a way that is going to cause real harm to these families.

>> Arbery, what is your what your monthly benefit and how does that help you and your family?

>> Yeah, for myself and for children, I was about $1150 a month to my benefit puts all the food that for that we need on the being able to get fresh produce.

That's a big thing.

I mean, kids to stay healthy.

need to trisha's food on.

Like Lindsay said, just being able that they can stay healthy because if they are healthy and they miss school that I miss along with that, so want them to be able to be healthy, going for best doubles well-balanced meals.

I don't know how we would make ends meet without the benefit.

And you said you've been using snap for a couple of years and what were the circumstances a couple of years ago that you found yourself needing it.

>> Yeah, yeah.

I lost my full-time job that I I And then for a period of time I was unemployed and then pretty much underemployed sense.

I've spent the last 2 years looking for higher better but nothing has materialize.

That's really going work out for us for our family.

So I've had to become reliant on the benefits with my work schedule.

What kind of work are you able to find that to cobble together?

Yeah, I deliver driving for DoorDash.

Uber eats Instacart just kind of pick my schedule because then I can only work.

I work with my kids are in school.

So it works out well for then.

And then I don't have to make up that difference to cover childcare on top of everything, right?

What do you want people to know about the people who depend on SNAP?

That this is a very real thing that there are families that will go especially with the cold weather coming up.

Nobody should be put in a position where they have to choose between paying utility bill or buying food.

Being fed is like the basic of most human necessities.

Everybody needs to eat and nobody should ever.

think that they don't have their next meal coming.

So be on the shutdown come December.

There will be some changes to snap that were outlined in the big Beautiful Bill act.

Notably work requirements are expanding so that able-bodied recipients must work 80 hours a month with some exemptions.

>> It limits the eligible use the eligibility of legally present non-citizens so that refugees, asylum seekers, they will lose benefits next year.

Some of the cost of benefits will be shifted onto the states.

Knowing what else people need to understand about the impact of the shifting policy?

Well, I think the first thing that everyone should recognize is that we are dealing with a sequence of crises with this program.

Not only is it bad enough that people could miss their benefits in November.

>> But very shortly thereafter in December of people are going to have to start meeting these work requirements.

As you mentioned.

And that means 80 hours a month.

The people being other folks have to try to cobble together to maintain their benefits.

But I think the most important thing for people to understand is the exemptions.

You mentioned.

There are many people in the state that should be exempt from these requirements.

And so it's incredibly important for folks to go and submit those exemptions and that information to the Department of Human Services.

If they feel they need exemption, they need to get that information to the state before December first so that hopefully they won't be impacted by this.

>> Lindsey conservatives like the Illinois Policy Institute, they point to the state they point to Illinois's snap error rate and say that that is one way the state could be saving a lot of money because our state's is among the highest at 11.6% Could the error rate really make a difference for the state and saving money?

>> Not to the extent that we are going to see people harmed by not giving sat out in the knot in the next month.

So the error rates include anything from typo to miss qualifying somebody.

And so there's so many reasons that we could have someone or erroneous be taken into the computers as air.

really overstating how many people getting snap benefits when they normally shouldn't.

They?

>> Arbery the holiday season is coming up.

What do you want lawmakers to know?

want them to do.

Definitely try to come to an agreement with the government shutdown.

Ends.

But on top of like the funds that they're talking about like hopefully make sure that these families like mine, all their families.

>> We'll be able to have all the food, all the nutrition we need on a daily basis.

Just nobody should have to worry whether or not they're going to and needs to hit home.

No one got 30 seconds left foot policy options.

Would you like to see put in place to prevent something like this from happening?

Well, first all say just as far as the shutdown is concerned, we know that health care is at the center of this.

>> But people cannot afford higher premiums just as they cannot afford to lose their snap.

So I would leave the audience with the simple message that even if the government shutdown persists.

The federal government has the ability to fund snap and make sure that people in the state have the food that they that's where we'll have to leave Thanks to all of you for joining us.

Arbery, especially