SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — The Illinois Department of Human Services has announced that SNAP benefits for 1.9 million residents may end on November 1 if the federal government does not reopen.

IDHS said the benefits, which amount to $350 million in monthly assistance, are crucial for many families in Illinois, and the state does not have the budget to compensate for the loss if federal support ceases.

"In the past, when the government shut down, Congress and the President usually fixed the problem before families missed their benefits. But this time, things are still uncertain," the IDHS said in a statement.

The looming cutoff of SNAP benefits comes amid a bitter partisan standoff in Washington. Democrats have labeled the impasse a “Republican shutdown,” accusing GOP lawmakers of refusi

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