In 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided an increase in the maximum amount of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits available to households in Illinois. This increase was meant to help families struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic. Now, the question is, how long will this increase in food stamp benefits last in Illinois?
Increasing Food Stamp Benefits in Illinois
In 2020, the CARES Act increased the maximum SNAP benefit for households in Illinois by 15%. This amounted to an additional $44 per person per month in SNAP benefits for an average family of four. This increase was designed to help families pay for food and other necessities during the pandemic. In addition to this increase, the CARES Act also provided additional funding for SNAP administrative costs.
The additional funding provided by the CARES Act was not permanent, and was set to end on September 30th, 2020. However, in June 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) extended the additional funding for SNAP until the end of 2020. This extension provided additional time for households to take advantage of the additional SNAP benefits.
How Long Will This Last?
The additional funding for SNAP provided by the CARES Act was set to expire at the end of 2020, but in December 2020, Congress passed a new COVID-19 relief package that extended the additional funding for SNAP through the end of 2021. This means that households in Illinois will continue to receive the additional $44 per person per month in SNAP benefits until the end of 2021.
It is unclear how long the additional SNAP benefits will last beyond 2021. It is possible that Congress could extend the additional funding, but it is also possible that the additional funding could expire at the end of 2021. Until then, households in Illinois can continue to take advantage of the additional SNAP benefits.
In summary, the additional SNAP benefits provided by the CARES Act will continue to be available to households in Illinois until the end of 2021. After that, it is unclear how long the additional SNAP benefits will last. However, households can continue to take advantage of the additional SNAP benefits until the end of 2021.
