Over 1 million Illinois families will put turkey on the table this Thanksgiving with the help of federal food assistance.

Benefit programs in Illinois punish people for hard work. An estimated 710,000 Illinoisans have intentionally held themselves back financially to avoid losing government benefits.

Although enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program declined marginally in April, nearly 2 million Illinoisans still depend on the federal food aid. Illinois’ food insecurity has yet to recover from the pandemic.

Congress just put work requirements in place for some receiving federal health care and food assistance benefits. What does that mean for the 1-in-4 Illinois residents currently on Medicaid?

Illinois had a slight decrease in food assistance recipients in January, yet the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation remains higher than it was a decade ago and ahead of neighboring states.

Illinois enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program decreased slightly in December, but over 1.9 million residents still received benefits.

Nearly 2 million Illinoisans, with around half in Cook County, relied on federal food assistance in October 2024, marking a 12% increase in five years.