New work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or food stamp recipients in Lawrence and other counties across Illinois go into effect on Sunday, February 1st, threatening benefits for hundreds of thousands.
Adults aged 18 to 64 without dependents under age 14 will be required to work, participate in SNAP employment and training programs or volunteer for at least 80 hours per month to receive benefits. Previously, only adults aged 18 to 54 without dependents under the age of 18 had to meet those requirements.
The new SNAP regulations were signed into federal law by President Donald Trump in July of 2025.
According to the Illinois Department of Human Services, up to 340,000 Illinoisians are at risk of losing their benefits with the new requirements and the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that as of September 2025, nearly 2 million Illinois residents were using SNAP benefits.
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