PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — Grocers and government food assistance recipients want Illinois to increase the number of days it disburses the benefits to help relieve sporadic food shortages that have occurred since the state changed its schedule two years ago, according to a news report.

For years, the Illinois Department of Human Services disbursed Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP, payments every other day from the first to 23rd of each month, enabling grocers to keep a steady supply of food on the shelves and give workers consistent hours. But that changed in 2013, when most of the more than 2 million Illinois SNAP recipients began receiving benefits during the first 10 days of the month.

Grocers and recipients say that means store shelves are depleted quickly and there is little incentive for grocers to keep shelves stocked with fresh fruits, vegetables and meats the rest of the month, when business falls off significantly in communities where SNAP usage is high, Gatehouse Media Illinois reported Saturday (http://bit.ly/1OlE4cr ).

"Some days, they barely have any food in the stores ... (so) I'll have to wait a couple of days to go back to the stores because I don't have consistent transportation," said Hattie Williams, a 27-year-old Peoria resident who has a job but needs SNAP assistance to feed her four children.

SNAP payments account for 15 percent of business at Haddad's West Peoria Market, owner Mark Wrhel said.

"In the back half of the month, the business really drops off. It really slows down, so you've got fewer hours to pass out (to employees)," Wrhel said. "For us, as a retailer, it gets harder and harder, especially when you're dealing with perishable goods."

Under a change pushed by the Illinois Retail Merchants Association last year, some SNAP recipients get their disbursement on the 13th, 17th and 20th of each month.

But DHS plans to phase out those dates, leaving everyone to get benefits in the first 10 days because it simplifies the process for the agency, grocers and recipients, said Kris Grove, the department's policy manager for SNAP.

Officials said a new computer system has helped the state create the most efficient and accurate disbursement for SNAP, Medicaid and other assistance.

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service, the federal regulator of SNAP, says enabling SNAP users to obtain fresh food is the most important factor in setting disbursement schedules, and that staggering payments makes it easier for stores to stock healthy foods at competitive prices throughout the month.

Even so, the federal agency said Illinois may schedule as it sees fit.