ILLINOIS (WAND) – Republican lawmakers want to see stiffer requirements for food stamp recipients in Illinois.
A press release says State Rep. Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth) and Dan Caulkins (R), a nominee for state representative in the 101st District, want able-bodied adults without dependents to find jobs in order to receive the benefits. They’re arguing that Illinois has seen its unemployment rate drop from 10.2 percent during the recession in the late 2000s to 4.2 percent in 2018.
“Since 2009, Illinois has annually applied for and received a federal waiver of the work requirement for able-bodied adults on food stamps,” Rep. Mitchell said. “Illinois’ economy is in a much stronger position today than it was at the height of the Great Recession and, despite pockets of persistently high unemployment, Illinois overall is basically at full employment. So why is the State still applying for this waiver? Able-bodied adults who do not have children should be working in order to receive taxpayer-funded benefits.”
Illinois and 27 other states get approved each year for the work time limit waiver. It applies to 101 of the state’s 102 counties, with only DuPage County required to follow minimum work standards as they relate to food stamps in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Caulkins says Illinois should give “a helping hand, not a handout” to people who he says should be working.
“Both at the state and federal level, government is spending way beyond its means and hard-working families are paying a high price for this spending,” he said. “One step Illinois should take is to join our surrounding states in enforcing the federal work requirement for food stamps. Let’s put our people back to work and help them get off welfare.”
President Donald Trump’s administration is also pushing for tighter welfare work requirements.
