About half of the 40,000 households that were cut off from Illinois’ food stamp benefits last month have been reinstated so far. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, requires recipients to prove they qualify for the benefit twice a year. But the October roll out of a new automated system left about 40,000 households suddenly cut off. Diana Grigsby Jackson with the Department of Human Services says the state has begun restoring benefits and is applying for a federal waiver to recoup those funds. Recipients are expected to be reinstated by Friday.