77,000 Illinois households could lose food stamps under proposed USDA changes

A proposed change to the federal food stamp program could cause tens of thousands of Illinois residents to lose their benefits if they have too much money saved up.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking to tighten eligibility rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly called SNAP, to achieve consistency among states and ensure benefits go to those who need them most. It estimates the changes would save $2.5 billion a year.

But advocates for the poor say tightened eligibility rules would mostly affect working families who struggle to make ends meet and elderly