New SNAP changes set to go into effect in February

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - On Feb. 1, a group of SNAP recipients will have to complete an extra step to stay eligible for benefits. Within the SNAP program, there is an eligibility group called Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD).

Before changes announced by the Trump administration, Adults aged 18-54 with no disabilities and no children under 18 living at home were considered ABAWDs. Now, the group has expanded to include adults aged 55-64 with no disabilities, people with kids at home who are older than 14, people who are homeless, and veterans.

ABAWDs have to provide proof that they are working or volunteering 80 hours a month, or participating in approved work programs to keep their SNAP benefits.

"Starting this month, if you are not able to prove in three months that you are volunteering or working at least 80 hours a month, then you will lose your SNAP benefits," said Adani Sanchez, Client Services Coordinator for Champaign County Health Care Consumers. "You basically have to show every single month that you are working 80 hours and that is a difficult thing."

Sanchez said people have been struggling to get the proper paperwork or verification to prove they are volunteering or working the correct amount of time. She's also helped people determine if they fit under exemptions to the team.

Those exemptions include being pregnant, chronically homeless, physically or mentally disabled, in an addiction program and many others. For a full list of exemptions, you can click this link.

Because eligibility has to be verified every month, Sanchez is concerned that people may lose benefits simply because of paperwork confusion.

"Our understanding is that these new rules are not based on evidence about who is using SNAP benefits or how they are using SNAP benefits," said Sanchez. "Many people who are on SNAP benefits now are already working, but unfortunately, their wages are not high enough to allow them to buy food and sustain themselves."

A spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Human Services provided WAND News the following statement about the changes:

"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 have relied on this 100 percent federally funded benefits resource. The next significant milestone is the implementation of new work requirements, which began February 1^st and could impact hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) is communicating with SNAP participants regarding these changes to SNAP and continues to provide support as people navigate new processes and changes imposed by the Trump Administration. SNAP recipients can also now use this screener to see if they are subject to, meeting, or may be eligible for an exemption from SNAP Work Requirements: https://aberp.illinois.gov/screener/ABAWD?lang=EN "

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