Governor Pritzker Launches FRESH Program to Support up to 175,000 Illinoisans the Trump Administration Kicked Off SNAP

Illinoisans will automatically receive a one-time benefit of $400 per eligible household member starting Aug. 1, 2026.

Submitted by the Office of Governor JB Pritzker

Jul 30, 2026 9:05 AM

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CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced that Illinoisans who lost their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will receive a one-time $400 benefit per eligible household member through the new Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger (FRESH) program. This $70 million program was enacted as part of the Governor’s FY27 budget, which was focused on making life more affordable for Illinois families especially after the Trump Administration slashed food assistance for Illinoisans.

Approximately 100,000 Illinoisans will receive a one-time benefit beginning August 1, and IDHS will provide funding each month to additional individuals who lose coverage until funding is exhausted.

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“At a time when the cost of groceries, gas, and utilities are all rising, Donald Trump and Republicans decided to strip food assistance from nearly 100,000 people,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “In Illinois, we passed the FRESH program to help provide some relief for families kicked off food assistance, but no state can backfill the cruel and imminent cuts set in motion by Trump’s budget bill.”

“Trump’s SNAP cuts are having real, dire consequences for families across Illinois,” said Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. “Agriculture is Illinois' number one industry, so we know Ag isn’t just about what happens on the farm. It touches every kitchen table and grocery store in every community. The FRESH program is one more way Illinois is stepping up to help families weather rising costs while supporting a food system that serves us all.”

FRESH Program Overview

There is no paperwork or application required to receive the FRESH benefit payment.
Eligible households have one or more members who lost benefits and did not regain eligibility, due to neither meeting nor being exempt from new, broadened work requirements.
A notice will be mailed to eligible households who will receive these benefits.
- Note: If a customer receives a notice of eligibility but no longer has their Link card, they can request a new one by visiting www.EBTedge.com or calling 1-800-678-LINK (5465).
Individuals are eligible to receive a FRESH benefit one time.
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For eligible households who lost benefits after May 1, 2026, but before August 1, benefits will begin being deposited as a cash payment on Illinois Link cards by August 1, 2026.
Starting in August 2026 through June 2027 or until funding has been exhausted, households with eligible members will be issued FRESH benefits after the 16th of the month in which they lost access to SNAP.
Receiving a FRESH program payment will not impact eligibility for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), AABD Cash, Medicaid, or other similar benefit programs.

“Every family deserves reliable access to food,” said IDHS Secretary Dulce M. Quintero. “The FRESH program provides options to help our SNAP customers put food on the table. We are proud to invest in solutions that support families, strengthen communities, and promote well-being across Illinois.”

Impact on Illinoisans

The impact of Trump’s budget bill is being felt by the most vulnerable Illinoisans and people across the nation. The bill enacted the most extreme cuts to SNAP benefits since the program’s launch in 1964 – stripping millions of Americans of their food benefits and passing unprecedented costs onto states. As of July 2026, nearly 150,000 Illinoisans lost SNAP benefits due to HR1. The State of Illinois has been able to work with many of those individuals to help them regain access to food assistance. Still, nearly 100,000 individuals are without SNAP benefits due to the Trump budget and will be receiving support and relief from the FRESH Program this week. The number of Illinoisans impacted varies from month to month as recipients navigate the changes and gain or lose employment or exemptions.

Looking ahead, households with newly eligible members will be issued one-time FRESH benefits after the 16th of the month in which they lose access to SNAP until funding is exhausted.

“The FRESH Program is Illinois stepping up to help our neighbors with food insecurity when the federal government fails to,” said State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago). “This program provides immediate support for those who lost or received reduced SNAP benefits due to changing eligibility, ensuring that they will be able to put food on the table for themselves and their family.”

"This program is a step in the right direction to ensure families have food on their tables after losing or having reduced benefits," said State Representative Dagmara Avelar (D-Romeoville). "After many new federal requirements for SNAP benefits, Illinois will always remain one step ahead with solutions to those challenges, so families do not go hungry."

“The FRESH program provides a critical lifeline for Illinoisans who lost their SNAP benefits due to federal rule changes, giving them temporary support to meet basic needs while they hopefully regain SNAP eligibility,” said Kate Maehr, CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository and co-chair of the Illinois Commission to End Hunger. “FRESH is the first program of its kind in the nation and proof that advocacy and political leadership matter. Thank you to our state leaders, especially the legislative champions who helped us design and move FRESH into the state budget. I am proud of everything Illinois has done to minimize the harm of federal safety net cuts. The hardest days are still in front of us, but we won’t give up.”

If after receiving a notice of eligibility, SNAP customers have additional questions or need help with their case, they can visit dhs.illinois.gov/fresh.

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