What Is SNAP?
There are many Chicagoans that are unfortunately facing the problem of not having enough money to get a full meal for the family. Many families struggle to make ends meet, as the income rate in Chicago is not as high as it should be. Therefore, many families have to plan their meals carefully. Thankfully, there are many programs in Chicago that take it upon themselves to support families in need or even people in need. SNAP benefits are, by definition, “a government program that provides a sliding scale of income designated for food to low-wage working families, low-income seniors, people with disabilities, and other individuals with low incomes.”
This is incredibly useful for families who do not receive enough income to have meals for their families. It seems that the program was given even more benefits because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. That way, families would be supported despite the pandemic happening at the same time. However, there are changes that came to the SNAP program. There is a possibility that this may affect families negatively.
What are the Changes?
As aforementioned, there are some changes that are coming to the SNAP program come March of 2023. The size of the decrease varies depending on income and household size, but SNAP benefits will decrease anywhere from $55 to $255 per person per month, city officials stated. Therefore, SNAP will be accounting for the size of the family, and the amount of income that the family receives. Additionally, the support people got will either decrease a little bit or quite a bit depending on their status. This could potentially affect families in many ways, as they will not be receiving the support they once received initially.
What If There Were Changes in Your Household?
For those that have experienced some changes in the household, there may be more SNAP benefits available for them. The city of Chicago noted that if people recently experienced certain life changes, including the following, they might be eligible for additional SNAP benefits:
- An increase in the number of people living in their household.
- A decline in income.
- Increased housing, medical, or childcare expenses.
- If someone pays child support expenses for a child, not in their home.
Therefore, the only thing that has to be done is to mention these changes, and support will be given.
Other Helpful Programs
If SNAP benefits do not work for certain families, throughout Chicago there are many more programs that are available. This widespread amount of programs help many families all throughout Chicago who are facing issues regarding income or even putting food on the table. “Any Chicagoans need of additional assistance in getting food on the table is encouraged to take advantage of the many programs across the city,” according to NBC 5 News.
The Future of Chicago’s Income Disparity
Unfortunately, Chicago faces one of the worst income disparities in the nation. There are several families that do not receive an adequate amount of financial support from the Illinois government. Therefore, these programs are an absolute necessity for many families to rely on. These families also hope that in the future their income increases, especially for these families in need.
This way, they will rely less on the programs than they do now. Hopefully, Chicago can increase the income rates for these families that are in desperate need of extra income, as many jobs do not pay enough to live a healthy life. This needs to happen fast, as many families are struggling to make ends meet as of today.
Written by David Loran Jr
Sources:
ABC 7 News: SNAP benefits Chicago: Officials warn residents of food program changes starting in March
Move for Hunger: SNAP, explained
NBC 5 News: City of Chicago Reminds Residents About Emergency SNAP Benefits Ending This Week
Featured and Top Image by 401kcalculator.org Courtesy of 401(K) 2012’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Donavan K Patubo Courtesy of Official U.S. Navy Page’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
