CELEBRATE AMERICAN
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Week Before Thanksgiving
Wednesday • November 19, 2025
Full SNAP benefits to resume this month after government shutdown ends By MAGGIE DOUGHERTY Capitol News Illinois mdougherty@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — The Illinois Department of Human Services announced Thursday that residents who received partial or delayed SNAP funds in November will begin receiving full benefits for the month. In Illinois, nearly 1.9 million people rely on SNAP benefits to buy groceries. Illinois recipients are expected to see their full benefits by Nov. 20, according to IDHS. On Sunday, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and seven other Senate Democrats broke rank to vote alongside Republicans to pass a budget bill and reopen the federal government after a record 43-day shutdown caused an unprecedented lapse in Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program funding. After three weeks of whirlwind lawsuits, appeals and a proposal by the Trump administration to provide only partial benefits, the government reopening means states can now release outstanding November benefits. “The crisis was entirely avoidable,” IDHS said in a statement. “The Trump Administration had the funding to fully support SNAP but chose not to, putting tens of millions of Americans at risk of hunger.” Lily Simpson, 21, is a substitute elementary school
Fruits and vegetables are pictured at a County Market grocery store in Springfield. The items are eligible for purchase under the federal SNAP program. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Campbell) –––––––––––––––––––––––
teacher in Carbondale. Simpson, who relies on SNAP for groceries, said the uncertainty around the timing of benefits made it difficult to plan her shopping. “When they don’t tell you the previous month that it’s going to be cut, it’s hard to budget that way,” Simpson said. “We already don’t have a lot to work with, but the SNAP, it really is just that extra cushion every month for us.” Simpson, who usually receives $158 in SNAP
benefits on the first of the month, said her first payment came in on Nov. 7 with only $12. The next day, she got $38 more. Now, she said she can see the rest pending in her account. Though Simpson signed up for text alerts about the status of her benefits, she said there had been no communication about the new deposits since the first one. She was only notified to check her account from a friend’s suggestion. Simpson said she was lucky to have family members who could offer support and take her shopping, but without that, she would not have staples like milk and butter in her fridge. “I would still be coasting off of the random leftover things in my pantry, like those green beans in the back corner that you forgot about that you’re just going to eat out of the can,” she said. “I’m one of the lucky few that was able to continue to eat throughout it, but there’s plenty of people who weren’t. 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.
Veterans Reminded to Check for Property Tax Savings Cook County – This Veterans Day, Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi reminds veterans that they may be eligible for property tax-saving exemptions that reduce their tax bills. The Assessor’s Office processes 10,000 exemptions for veterans annually. Veterans who believe they may have been eligible for a past exemption can file for a Certificate of Error dating back to Tax Year 2021. The Assessor’s Office administers three exemptions for veterans: The Veterans with Disabilities Exemption is for veterans with a service-connected disability as certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The exemption reduces the equalized assessed value (EAV) on the primary residence of a veteran with a disability, very likely lowering the tax bill. Veterans who are 70% or more disabled receive an EAV reduction of $250,000. Veterans must renew annually, except for those who
are rated 100% disabled and classified as “totally and permanently disabled” by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. They are automatically renewed once the 100% rating and the “total and permanent” status is registered with the Assessor’s office. The Returning Veterans Exemption is for veterans returning from active duty in an armed conflict involving the armed forces of the United States. They are eligible to receive a $5,000 reduction in the equalized assessed value of their property only for each taxable year in which they return and the year after. The World War II Veterans Exemption, recently created by the Illinois General Assembly, exempts veterans of World War II from property taxes. In April
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2025, Assessor Kaegi and his staff welcomed veterans and their families to the office to honor their service and celebrate this new exemption. Application assistance is available in-person at one of our branch offices. Schedule an appointment today at https://www.cookcountyassessoril.gov/appt For a list of in-person and virtual outreach events, visit www.cookcountyassessor.com/event-list. For more information about exemptions, visit www. cookcountyassessor.com/exemptions.
SOUTH SUBURBAN COLLEGE Are you interested in: 9 Giving back this year? 9 Improving your resume? 9 Helping your community?
CATHY & JIM HIGGINS Question: Can anyone take any of the fixtures down or remove anything from the house? We bought a house and when we started moving in we realized someone had taken the mirrors out of the bathrooms, taken the surround-sound out, and removed the keyless entry to the garage. It was either the seller or the Broker. Answer: A “fixture” is generally seen as something attached to and a part of the property. Thus, a builtin microwave is a “fixture” while a microwave sitting on a counter is not. Was the bathroom mirror attached to the wall? Or, was it merely hung like a picture? If it was just hung, then it is not a fixture and can be removed. When you buy a home it’s smart to make a photo record of the property during the home inspection or when you see the property. This way you can document what was there at the
time of making an offer. You don’t know that the broker removed any items. What you do know is the sellers have an obligation to deliver the property in essentially the same condition as when you saw it at the time you made your offer. If the broker did remove the items, that’s something for the sellers and the broker to resolve, it’s not your problem. The sellers or Broker need to either return any missing fixtures or provide compensation satisfactory to you. Speak to your attorney about this matter. E-mail us your Real estate questions at: Cathyah@aol.com. Thinking of Selling? Call Cathy & Jim Higgins: Ind: 219-577-5905 Ill: 708-828-3304. Licensed Broker/Realtors in Indiana & Illinois. McColly Real Estate See What We Do at: www.Cathyhiggins. com. Personal Real estate Journal: www.Higginshousechat.blogspot.com
Become a Volunteer tutor! South Suburban College’s Adult Volunteer Literacy Program is an all-volunteer program that tutors adult education students and community members in basic literacy and numeracy. We work closely with the local libraries in order to facilitate our program in many locations, making it readily accessible and convenient for all community members.
What can being a volunteer do for you? 9 One free professional development hour through our program in Adult Education, Reading, Writing, and many other subjects. 9 A recommendation letter for any job, scholarship, or school you may be interested in attending. 9 Open the doors to other great opportunities.
For more information call: Anthony Kyte Literacy Grants Manager (708) 596-2000, ext. 2558 or email akyte@ssc.edu This project was made possible by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library (ISL), a division of the Office of Secretary of State, using state funds designated for literacy.