With the longest U.S. government shutdown over, the Illinois Department of Human Services announced Thursday they are working to distribute full benefits to the nearly two million recipients of Illinois' Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP .

"The lapse in SNAP funding created unnecessary hardship for 1.9 million Illinoisans and businesses who rely on this federal program," the IDHS said in a statement posted to its website. "The crisis was entirely avoidable - the Trump Administration had the funding to fully support SNAP but chose not to, putting tens of millions of Americans at risk of hunger."

According to the agency, remaining benefit payments will be made " over the coming days ," with all SNAP recipients expected to receive their full November benefits by Nov.

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