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the one-time payment to their Illinois Link card to use on food. People who lose SNAP coverage in the coming months will also receive payments until funding for the program runs out. Other financial impacts The budget also included $55 million to hire 450 Department of Human Services employees, including staff to update state systems to comply with federal changes to SNAP and Medicaid eligibility. Illinois, and most other states, are set to be on the hook for higher costs in the coming years because of the changes Congress made. Read more: Illinois food assistance error rate continues to grow as federal penalties loom Beginning in in October 2027, states will cover half of administrative costs for the program and many states will begin covering a portion of SNAP benefits. States with an error rate greater than 10% will have to cover 15% of the cost of benefits starting in fiscal year 2029. Illinois’ error rate was 14.7% in federal fiscal year 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That was up from 11.6% the year before. Illinois will have another year to produce a lower error rate, giving the state more time to rectify problems. As of now, the state could be on the hook for $700 million in new SNAP costs by the end of 2028 if nothing changes. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
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By BEN SZALINSKI Capitol News Illinois bszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com A new state program took effect Saturday to provide food benefits to people who have recently become ineligible because of federal changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger, or FRESH, program kicked off Aug. 1 after state lawmakers appropriated $70 million in the fiscal year 2027 budget to establish a state food assistance program. The initiative allows households that lost their SNAP benefits earlier this year to receive a $400 one-time payment. “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,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement. “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.” About 150,000 Illinoisians were expected to lose food assistance benefits beginning May 1 after new work requirements established by Congress went into effect. About 1.5 million Illinoisians received SNAP benefits in June, according to the Illinois Department of Human Services. That includes 830,342 households. The number of beneficiaries in June was down 134,734 people compared to April. Eligible households are those that lost benefits because of the federal changes and are automatically enrolled in the FRESH program. Recipients will receive
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Setting Priorities by Janice R Newman Many people think setting goals is difficult, but it is often much easier than they realize. In fact, most people already set goals every day without even thinking about it. The problem is not whether we set goals—it is whether we are setting the right ones. Think about today’s lifestyle. Almost everyone owns a smartphone, and many people feel like they can’t function without it. We are constantly connected, but what are we connected to? Social media, text messages, videos, or the latest news? Do we really need to check every few minutes to see who liked our latest post? Have you ever sat down to eat with family only to notice that everyone is staring at a phone instead of talking to one another? Most of us have experienced this, and many of us have been guilty of doing it ourselves. Without realizing it, we have made checking our devices a priority. Since we already know we can set goals, why not choose goals that truly matter and make those our priority instead? Prioritizing is one of the most important parts of achieving any goal, yet it is often overlooked. Every day we choose what deserves our time and attention. Sometimes we place more importance on a social media post than on spending quality time with our family, friends, or God. Human relationships should always be more valuable than online activity. Look around the dinner table in many homes. Parents and children are focused on their phones instead of each other. They may not even notice what they are eating because their attention is fixed on a screen. While there is nothing wrong with enjoying technology, it should not replace meaningful conversations or time with the people who matter most. The latest sports score, viral video, or television
marathon may provide temporary entertainment, but it will not help you reach your long-term goals. Watching hours of your favorite show wont organize your home, finish the book you started two years ago, improve your finances, or help you launch the business you have always dreamed about. Those accomplishments require intentional effort and wise use of your time. Setting priorities means deciding what is most important and giving those things your best time and energy. It also means saying “no” to activities that distract you from your purpose. Spending time strengthening your marriage, building relationships with your children, improving your health, growing your faith, or working toward your career goals will have a much greater impact on your future than another episode of your favorite television series. If you want to see your goals become reality, you must make them a daily priority. Success doesn’t happen by accident. It requires commitment, discipline, and consistent action. Whether your goals involve your career, finances, education, health, or spiritual growth, they deserve your attention before less important activities. Every worthwhile achievement comes with a price. Reaching your goals may require sacrificing time, comfort, or even money. However, those sacrifices are investments in the future you want to create. When you choose your priorities wisely, you move one step closer to becoming the person God created you to be. The question is simple: What are you making a priority today? If your current habits aren’t leading you where you want to go, it may be time to reset your priorities. Your future is shaped by the choices you make today. Y? Why Not!
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