As new federal work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) take effect this month, Illinois lawmakers are weighing a state-funded plan that would send lump-sum cash payments to families who lose or see reductions in their food benefits.
House Bill 4730, titled the Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger program, would provide one-time payments through an EBT card to households impacted by the updated eligibility rules.
Under the proposal, payments would be calculated in one of two ways. If a household’s SNAP benefit is reduced, it would receive three times the difference between its former benefit and the new, lower amount. If SNAP benefits are terminated entirely, the family would receive three times its last full monthly benefit.
The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Dagmara Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, did not respond to a request for comment.
Critics argue the proposal could create new financial and oversight concerns. Brian Costin, state director for Americans for Prosperity-Illinois, questioned the effectiveness of distributing large, one-time payments.
“I’m skeptical of lump-sum payments like this,” Costin said. “There’s little evidence that giving recipients a large amount at once is effective policy. Suddenly, recipients would have a large sum on their EBT card, which could create even more opportunities for fraud than exist now.”
Costin said Illinois should focus on reducing fraud and improving program integrity rather than layering new spending onto an already strained system.
He also emphasized the importance of workforce participation requirements for able-bodied adults without children, referencing bipartisan welfare reforms enacted in the 1990s.
“We should be helping people re-enter life and not warehousing them in dependency and calling it compassion,” Costin said. “It’s not empowerment to trap people in welfare forever.”
Though the bill is set to expire in 2028, Costin raised concerns that it could become permanent.
“Is this something they’re trying to do permanently, or is this a short-term political gimmick?” he asked.
Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show Illinois had a SNAP payment error rate of 11.56% in fiscal year 2024, higher than the national average of 10.93%. Under recent federal rules, states with error rates above 10% may be required to repay a portion of benefits, potentially costing Illinois hundreds of millions of dollars if the rate remains elevated.
