About 260,000 low-income Illinois residents were in danger of losing food stamp priveleges early next year.
The administration of Governor Bruce Rauner has applied for a federal waiver to continue access through 2017.
Diane Doherty, with the Illinois Hunger Coalition, says Illinois was one of 11 states eligible because it’s so hard to find a job.
"There weren't even close, the number of slots available to meet the need of you know, 200,000 - 260,000 people. And so what needs to be in place is there needs to be more slots available for folks who are able to go in and get training and get employment," said Doherty.
Under federal welfare rules, adults without dependents or job-impairing health issues are limited to three months of food assistance within a three-year period.
States can ask the feds to make an exception if unemployment is high, or if there's a surplus of labor.
Doherty says affected individuals have an income of only about two-thousand-dollars.
