Governor JB Pritzker signed Executive Order 2025-08 on Thursday, directing $20 million in emergency funding to food banks across Illinois as nearly 2 million state residents prepare to lose federal food assistance this Saturday amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.
The executive order launches a comprehensive statewide response to the Trump Administration’s unprecedented decision to halt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits beginning November 1, marking the first time in the program’s 60-year history that benefits have been completely suspended.
“The Trump Administration wants to let tens of millions of Americans go hungry, a failure in leadership and abdication of our responsibility as Americans to take care of each other,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Illinois families, kids, seniors, and people with disabilities will now go without food benefits because President Trump wants to use food assistance as a political bargaining chip.”
The emergency funding will support seven food banks that supply more than 2,600 food pantries statewide. Half of the funding—$10 million—comes from the Budget Reserve for Immediate Disbursements and Governmental Emergencies Fund, with the remaining $10 million provided by the Illinois Department of Human Services.
The federal government shutdown, which began October 1 and has now lasted 30 days, has resulted in the furlough of approximately 900,000 federal employees nationwide. Despite roughly $5 billion in federal contingency funding available for emergencies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has chosen not to issue SNAP benefits for November.
Illinois administers approximately $350 million in federal SNAP benefits monthly to nearly 1.9 million residents across more than 1 million households. In Illinois, approximately 45 percent of SNAP benefits support households with children, while 44 percent include individuals with disabilities.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined officials from 25 other states in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday, arguing that the suspension of benefits is unlawful and demanding that the USDA tap into contingency funds to continue assistance.
Beyond emergency funding, the executive order establishes multiple initiatives to address food insecurity and mitigate impacts from federal policy changes:
Emergency Funding to Food Banks: Illinois will direct $20 million in state funding to support food banks across Illinois beginning November 1, as food banks and pantries across the state will likely face increased demand due to the pause of SNAP funds.
Listening to Communities: IDHS and the Illinois Commission to End Hunger (ICTEH) will host statewide listening sessions to hear directly from residents, grocers, food banks, farmers, and community organizations about how SNAP changes are affecting them. A public report will share findings and policy recommendations.
Restoring Hunger Data: IDHS and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will partner with a public university to conduct a comprehensive statewide study on food insecurity, filling the gap left by the USDA’s termination of the Annual National Household Food Insecurity Survey, the results of which have been available for over 20 years and help states understand hunger across communities.
Supporting Local Grocers: In partnership with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA), the state will survey grocers statewide to assess the impact of federal changes, identify emerging food deserts, and strengthen support for independent grocery stores serving food-insecure communities.
Interagency Collaboration: IDHS, HFS, Department on Aging, DoIT, and CMS will coordinate through the Governor’s Office to develop interagency strategies to mitigate harm from the federal SNAP cuts and ensure families continue to receive vital food assistance.
Reducing Administrative Barriers: IDHS will analyze and address key drivers of Illinois’s SNAP Payment Error Rate (PER) to reduce costs tied to new federal funding formulas, while continuing to pursue waivers from the USDA to maintain SNAP access for as many residents as possible.
Navigating New Work Requirements: The State will work with community partners to help SNAP recipients understand and comply with new federal work rules and avoid unnecessary benefit loss.
Restoring Food Education: With the elimination of federal SNAP education funding, IDHS and ICTEH will identify Illinois’ food and nutrition education needs and develop recommendations to mitigate gaps.
Public Awareness Campaign: IDHS will launch an educational and outreach campaign to keep community-based organizations, non-profits, and benefit recipients informed about SNAP changes, deadlines, and available supports.
The executive order also addresses significant upcoming changes to SNAP under H.R. 1, the federal budget reconciliation bill signed into law on July 4, 2025, which reduces SNAP spending by nearly $187 billion over the next decade.
Beginning October 1, 2026, H.R. 1 shifts an additional 25 percent of SNAP administrative costs from the federal government to states, costing Illinois approximately $80 million annually.
The law dramatically expands work requirements, more than doubling the number of Illinois SNAP recipients subject to such mandates. The expanded requirements now include adults ages 55-65, parents with children ages 14-18, and eliminate previous exemptions for veterans, individuals experiencing homelessness, and youth aging out of foster care.
Most significantly, starting October 1, 2027, states will be required to pay a portion of SNAP benefits based on their “payment error rate” for the first time in program history. Illinois’ error rate was 11.56 percent in fiscal year 2024—higher than 38 other states and well above the national average.
States with error rates above 6 percent face penalties of up to 15 percent of total costs. Based on its current error rate, Illinois could face the maximum penalty of approximately $705 million to $800 million annually.
The executive order also addresses significant upcoming changes to SNAP under H.R. 1, the federal budget reconciliation bill signed into law on July 4, 2025, which reduces SNAP spending by nearly $187 billion over the next decade.
Beginning October 1, 2026, H.R. 1 shifts an additional 25 percent of SNAP administrative costs from the federal government to states, costing Illinois approximately $80 million annually.
The law dramatically expands work requirements, more than doubling the number of Illinois SNAP recipients subject to such mandates. The expanded requirements now include adults ages 55-65, parents with children ages 14-18, and eliminate previous exemptions for veterans, individuals experiencing homelessness, and youth aging out of foster care.
Most significantly, starting October 1, 2027, states will be required to pay a portion of SNAP benefits based on their “payment error rate” for the first time in program history. Illinois’ error rate was 11.56 percent in fiscal year 2024—higher than 38 other states and well above the national average.
States with error rates above 6 percent face penalties of up to 15 percent of total costs. Based on its current error rate, Illinois could face the maximum penalty of approximately $705 million to $800 million annually.
SNAP spending drives $1.3 billion in economic output across grocery and retail industries in Illinois and supports more than 18,000 jobs in grocery stores and related sectors. Independent grocery stores contribute over $9.3 billion in sales, over 38,000 direct jobs, over $3.2 billion in wages, and over $1.2 billion in taxes annually statewide.
Illinois residents who wish to support the food bank system can make contributions at feedingillinois.org. Those needing assistance can contact the IDHS Help Line at 1-800-843-6154 for information about available resources.
