Health & Benefits

No. These new work requirements are in addition to the existing work provisions. These work provisions existed before the new work requirements. SNAP recipients must meet both the work provisions and the new work requirements unless they qualify for exemptions.

IDHS has existing work provisions for people between the ages of 16 and 59. SNAP recipients must register with IDHS to find work and provide IDHS information about their employment status. They must also participate in SNAP employment and training, or workfare (if assigned by IDHS), take a suitable job if offered one, and must not voluntarily quit or reduce their hours below 30 hours per week without good reason. There are some exemptions to the work provisions.

If a person does not register for work or meet the work provisions, then they may be found ineligible for SNAP benefits for a certain period.

To keep getting SNAP, able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) must do at least 80 hours per month of one or more of the following:

• Working, part-time or full-time,
• Volunteering at an approved organization, or
• Participating in a job training or employment program.

The new work rules apply to people known as ABAWDs. This includes people who:

• Are ages 18 to 64,
• Do not have a disability,
• Do not care for a child under age six, or
• Do not care for someone with a disability.

ABAWDs must meet the work rule unless they qualify for an exemption.

IDHS defines “work” as working in exchange for money, or working in exchange for goods or services. Getting paid money for work is usually what people think of as “work.” However, IDHS also counts in-kind payment of goods and services as work under the new SNAP work requirements.

An example of in-kind work could be an apartment property manager working part- or full-time to manage the building or buildings, in exchange for an apartment in the building. They are not being paid a salary, but they are receiving housing in exchange for work. Another example could be someone who provides care for an elderly family member in exchange for room and board in the family member’s home.

Volunteering means helping at a nonprofit organization without being paid a wage. Some examples of volunteering include helping at a food pantry, community center, library, or church. The organization must be able to verify the hours worked.

Job training means taking part in a formal program that helps build work skills or prepare for employment. This can include a community college course, an IDHS work program, or a workforce development class.

Generally, SNAP recipients do not need to send proof to IDHS every month that they are meeting the work requirements. IDHS will ask for proof of working of volunteering when:

• A person initially applies for SNAP,
• Their eligibility for SNAP is being redetermined, and
• They are no longer exempt and must now meet the work requirements. 

However, the SNAP recipient must report to IDHS when they didn't meet their hours. Even if someone did not meet their hours for the month, they may still be able to get SNAP benefits if they can show IDHS that they weren't able to complete their hours with "good cause." Good cause means that something happened, outside of the SNAP recipient's control, that prevented them from meeting their hours. This can include:

• Illness that prevented the SNAP recipient from working,
• Another SNAP household member’s illness and the recipient needed to take care of them, 
• Lack of adequate child care for a child or children who are six to 11 years old,
• Lack of transportation,
• A household emergency, or 
• An unexpected reduction in hours that wasn’t requested by the SNAP recipient.

These are not the only reasons someone could show good cause for not meeting their work hours. As long as it’s something outside of the SNAP recipient’s control, then it can count as good cause. If IDHS finds a person didn’t meet their hours because of good cause, then they may still count the month as having met the work requirement.

Yes. There are many people who would be considered exempt from the new work requirement, and therefore still eligible for SNAP. A SNAP recipient may not have to meet the rule if they:

• Receive TANF and are complying with the TANF work requirements (if applicable),
• Are already receiving unemployment benefits, or those who have applied for but are not yet receiving unemployment benefits,
• Have applied for SSI or SSDI, but are not yet receiving any benefits under those programs
• Are considered “unfit for work” because of some kind of barrier that prevents them from being able to work,
• Are homeless or chronically homeless,
• Are pregnant,
• Are a parent or other adult household member responsible for the majority of the care of a dependent child under age six,
  • Only one adult in the SNAP household may claim this exemption. 
  • The child does not have to live in the SNAP home,
• Care for someone with a disability (the person does not have to live in the SNAP home),
• Regularly participate in a drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program (participation in Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous does not count),
• Are a student enrolled at least half time at an institution of higher education,
• Are Native American, Urban Indian, or California Indian as described in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act,
• Are working at least 30 hours per week week or earning at least $217.50 per week or $935 monthly gross (meaning before taxes and after applying any deductions), including self-employed people, migrant and seasonal contract workers, and AmeriCorp VISTA volunteers, or
• Live in an area with a temporary waiver because of an unemployment rate of over 10%. As of January 2026, there are no areas in Illinois with this waiver.

There are also separate exemptions for people enrolled in school or certain training programs at least half-time. Learn more about SNAP exemptions for people in school or training programs.

People who are exempt from the new work requirements, and otherwise qualify for SNAP, can apply for or still continue to receive SNAP.

The IDHS website has a screening tool that can help people determine if they fall under an exemption to the new work requirement. Current recipients can call their local IDHS office, or call the IDHS hotline at (800) 843-6154 to find out if they are exempt. While the screening tool is faster, calling the hotline will give the most accurate answers.

This means that someone is unable to work because they have a physical, medical or mental limitation. People who are receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are considered unfit for work and automatically exempt from the new work requirements.

People experiencing domestic violence or homelessness are considered exempt from the new work requirements. IDHS considers someone experiencing domestic violence or homelessness as having a mental or physical barrier to work. People experiencing chronic homelessness are specifically named as being exempt from the new work requirements.

Both people experiencing homelessness and people experiencing chronic homelessness are exempt from the new work requirements.

A person is considered “homeless” when they do not have a fixed, regular nighttime residence. This includes when someone’s nighttime residence is in a supervised temporary shelter, or a place not normally recognized as a place to sleep, like a bus station or car. Even a person temporarily staying in someone else’s house are considered homeless if they reside there for 90 days or less.

A person is considered “chronically homeless” if they have been:

• Homeless for last 6 months or more than once in last 12 months (based on the above definition of homeless”, and have a diagnosable:
  • Substance abuse disorder,
  • Serious mental illness,
  • Developmental disability, 
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
  • Cognitive issues resulting from a brain injury, or
  • Chronic physical illness or disability.

People do not have to be chronically homeless to be exempt from the work requirements. They can be experiencing regular homelessness and still be exempt because IDHS considered homelessness to be a mental or physical barrier to work. This means that homeless people are considered “unfit to work.”

Some people are automatically exempt from the work requirements, and do not need to notify IDHS that they are exempt. This includes:

• Anyone under 18 years old or over 64 years old,
• Anyone living in a SNAP unit with at least one child under 14 years old,
• Recipients of SSI or SSDI benefits,
• Anyone required to meet the TANF work requirements and who are meeting those requirements, and
• Anyone receiving unemployment benefits.

These people should not need to notify IDHS that they are exempt from the work requirements and should continue to receive SNAP benefits. However, they may wish to notify IDHS anyway just to be sure IDHS knows they are exempt.

Note: New SSI or SSDI recipients in particular might want to report they are exempt to ensure their exemption is known.

Some will need to notify IDHS that they are exempt from the work requirements. People in the following categories will need to submit something to IDHS to show they are exempt:

• People unfit for work due to some kind of barrier,
• Native Americans, Urban Indians, or California Indians as described in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act,
• A main caretaker of an incapacitated or disabled person,
• A main caretaker of a child under six years old who does not live in the home, and
• A person enrolled in a school or training program at least half time.

These exempt people can submit a statement saying they fall into one of the above categories without needing to provide third-party documentation. This is known as a “self-attestation.” It means that IDHS should take the word of the benefits recipient alone, without requiring additional evidence that they fall under the exemption. They may ask for more documentation if IDHS has a reason to question a person’s self-report.

Some people are required to provide IDHS with third-party documentation to show they are exempt from the work requirements:

• People enrolled in a drug or alcohol treatment program,
• People with pending unemployment benefits applications,
• Pregnant people,
• People working and earning at least $935 gross per month,
• People receiving domestic violence services, and
• People who are receiving homelessness assistance.

Notifying IDHS of an exemption can be done through the online Manage My Case system, or by filling out a paper form and filing it with IDHS. They can also contact their local IDHS office or Family Community Resource Center (FCRC) in person or via phone for assistance.

Generally, exempt SNAP recipients do not need to tell IDHS that they are exempt from the work requirements every month. Their exemption is confirmed when they:

• Initially apply for SNAP,
• Their eligibility for SNAP is being redetermined, and
• They are no longer exempt and must now meet the work requirements.

IDHS will generally not ask for someone to verify their exemptions with a self-attestation at any other time. 

IDHS may ask for proof a person is exempt from the work requirements at other times if they see something in the SNAP recipient’s file is contradictory. This means that the information the SNAP recipient provided to IDHS is different than what’s already in their file. This difference might cause IDHS to want the SNAP recipient to confirm they are exempt from the work requirements.

If a person fails to meet the work requirements for three consecutive months, then their SNAP benefits will stop. Therefore, if a person is not working, volunteering, or in a training program starting in February 2026, they can get benefits for February, March, and April. If they still don’t meet the rule by April 2026, they won't receive SNAP benefits in May 2026.

The work rules start on February 1, 2026. People who must meet the rule should start working, volunteering, or training that month to keep getting benefits without interruption.

If you’re not sure whether the work rule applies to you, contact:

• Your local IDHS office, or
• Use our free Get Legal Help tool to connect with legal aid attorneys.

The IDHS website has a screening tool that can help people determine if they fall under an exemption to the work rule.