White House Sends Half SNAP Benefits, Locals Step In

A federal shutdown froze SNAP funding and the White House said it will send half of normal November benefits, though states including Illinois warned the reduced funding and manual recalculations will likely delay distribution by days or weeks. Illinois normally receives about $350 million in SNAP aid monthly, and state officials say partial funding will leave households dependent on local supports until federal funds arrive. In Chicago, Manny’s Deli gave away 300 meals in hours and multiple restaurants are offering free or discounted meals (many ask to see SNAP cards); food banks and community groups are ramping up distributions and drives. The Great Plains Food Bank used a $915,000 state contribution to buy roughly 450,000 pounds of food and is preparing semitrailers and extra pop-up pantries, while local townships and nonprofits have launched food drives and Thanksgiving meal-box distributions.