Illinois State Senate District 7 issued the following announcement on April 7.
SNAP benefits – food assistance for families that need help – will increase in April and May due to COVID-19. If you are already receiving benefits, you do not need to make any changes in order to be eligible for this increase. If you are having trouble affording food and believe you may be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, you can create an account here or call 1-800-843-6154.
To see if you and your family would qualify, visit the Illinois Dept. of Human Services website here http://fscalc.dhs.illinois.gov/FSCalc/ to use their calculator.
Between April 8 and April 20, all eligible SNAP recipients will see their first additional funds if they are not currently receiving the maximum benefit. Additional funds are intended to help Illinoisans obtain food and support for their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The maximum SNAP benefit amounts will be implemented for April and May, but it is not known at this time whether these extended maximum payments will continue beyond May.
Increased benefits will be automatically loaded onto SNAP recipients’ Link cards, and there is no need for anyone to re-apply, to visit an office, or to call. All new applications authorized in April will also receive the maximum allotment for their household size.
Update from Swedish Hospital
Swedish Hospital reports it will institute a drive-up COVID-19 testing site in an effort to keep the community safe by removing the need to come inside the hospital building. Swedish Hospital’s plan is to begin with 50 tests a day starting April 8, with those seeking tests requiring a referral from a Swedish Hospital doctor. The hospital is exploring plans to expand that prerequisite to be a referral from any doctor, depending on the success of these initial tests. As always, if you believe you are displaying COVID-19 systems, contact your doctor by phone to determine if you should be tested and how to go about doing so.
Sincerely,
Heather A. Steans
State Senator, 7th Illinois Senate District
Original source can be found here.
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