More than 40 million Americans are set to lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits Nov. 1 as the government shutdown nears its five-week mark .

This includes more than a million Illinois residents, who will now have to find alternate ways to purchase food ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Here's what we know.

What are SNAP benefits?

SNAP, also known as food stamps, is a federal program that provides low-income families monthly benefits to afford healthy food. The program is typically run by state public assistance agencies through their local offices.

How many people in Illinois use SNAP?

Nearly 1.88 million Illinois residents participated in the SNAP program in May, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture data .

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