(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago area food pantries are preparing for an increase in demand because pandemic-era emergency food stamp benefits are ending.
Since April 2020, Illinois’ 2 million SNAP participants have been receiving extra benefits to get them through the pandemic.
But this is the last month for that extra food money, and Man-Yee Lee of the Greater Chicago Food Depository says SNAP households in Illinois will see monthly benefits reduced by $55 to $250.
The Food Depository’s network of 700 food pantries has been warned to brace themselves for an increase in demand from people who have become used to the extra SNAP benefits.
Even though inflation is starting to stabilize, she said, food prices are not quite there yet and that food insecurity remains above pre-pandemic levels.
“We really worry that this reduction will take SNAP participants by surprise and really impact their ability to put food on the table.”
Lee says Chicago area food pantries have already been seeing an increase in demand. There were 322,000 individuals served by food pantries last month, compared to 268,000 people in January 2022.
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