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FOOD
STAMPS FOR CHRISTMAS: 2 MILLION ILLINOISANS STRUGGLE TO PUT FOOD ON
THEIR TABLES
Illinois Policy Institute
Recent data from the Illinois Department of
Human Services show nearly 2 million Illinois residents need government
assistance to put food on the table this holiday season, as the state
continues to hemorrhage manufacturing jobs and other blue-collar
opportunities. Each year’s end is a time for reflection.
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 Regrettably, for millions of Illinoisans 2016 was marred by state policy
failures that left them with little choice but to seek government assistance to
get by.
An astounding 1.92 million Illinoisans are relying on the Supplemental
Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP, – commonly known as food stamps – this
holiday season, according to November 2016 data from the Illinois Department of
Human Services.
Illinois’ white-collar service sectors are experiencing sluggish growth,
particularly in Chicago and its metro area. But on the whole, year after year,
the state is losing thousands of blue-collar jobs that have traditionally
provided stability for middle-class Illinoisans. Unfortunately, Illinois’ poor
jobs climate drives millions to either turn to state programs for assistance, or
follow the jobs out of state.
Compared with 1.99 million in November 2015, food stamp usage in Illinois
dropped by 70,000 as of November 2016 – but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
U.S. Census Bureau data show that Illinois lost 114,144 people to other states,
on net, from July 2015 to July 2016. This caused Illinois’ population to shrink
by 37,508 during that same period, constituting the third consecutive year of
population decline. So the reduction in Illinois’ food stamps usage may be more
attributable to the state’s smaller overall population than a smaller struggling
population.
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 Furthermore, as of August 2016, Illinois’ food stamps usage far
outpaced that of its neighbors, with the largest percentage of
residents reliant on the government program.
Illinois policymakers need to implement commonsense reforms to
improve the state’s job market, which will mean fewer Illinoisans
worrying about their next meal. Illinois lawmakers should ring in
the New Year by reforming the state’s tax code, which includes some
of the highest property taxes in the nation, which are especially
burdensome for manufacturing businesses; fixing its broken pension
system to avoid continuous taxpayer bailouts; reforming its workers’
compensation system, which is among the top 10 most expensive
nationally and the most expensive regionally; introducing
Right-to-Work legislation; and reforming its occupational licensing
schemes that restrict employment to the detriment of middle- and
low-income workers. These reforms would make Illinois a more
competitive state for entrepreneurial investment, laying the
groundwork for stronger job creation.
As Illinois policymakers reflect on 2016, they need to acknowledge
the policy failures that have left nearly 2 million Illinoisans
reliant on food stamps. They need to set pro-growth goals for the
New Year, and return to Springfield in January prepared to make 2017
a year of prosperity for the Land of Lincoln.
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