Health & Benefits

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a government benefits program that helps low-income families buy food. SNAP benefits are also known as “food stamps”. The money comes from the federal government but is administered in Illinois by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Anyone who meets the requirements can get these benefits.

IDHS decides who qualifies for SNAP benefits. Many low-income households can get SNAP benefits, even if household members are working. The key factors that determine SNAP eligibility are:

• A person’s income and expenses, and
• The number of people who buy and eat food together in their home, also called the "SNAP unit," “SNAP household,” or “benefits unit”.

There are some people who can’t get SNAP benefits. People cannot SNAP benefits if:

• They are not a resident of Illinois or are not living in Illinois,
• They have been temporarily or permanently disqualified from receiving benefits because they broke the program’s rules, also known as an Intentional Program Violation (IPV).
• They are living in a hospital, jail, or another place where meals are provided,
• They are on strike and were not eligible on the day before the strike began,
• In the last 10 years, they were convicted of lying about who they are or where they live so they could get SNAP,
• They are on the run from the law,
• They are a fugitive felon or in violation of their probation, or
• They have escaped from jail or prison.

Undocumented immigrants and some documented immigrants cannot get SNAP benefits. Learn more about SNAP eligibility for non-citizens.

The eligibility rules for SNAP are complicated. If you’re not sure if you will qualify, you can apply and see.

People who live together and generally buy and prepare their food together are one SNAP unit, also known as a SNAP household. If someone buys and prepares food separately, in many cases, they may be a separate SNAP unit. People who meet “elderly disabled status” may be in a separate unit, even if they purchase and prepare meals with others or have other typically required people in their household. 

Certain people cannot be a separate SNAP unit. For example, spouses, and most parents and their children under age 22, must be included in the same SNAP unit. Learn more about SNAP units.

Household units with at least one “qualifying member” are treated differently than others in determining eligibility and the amount of assistance provided. A "qualifying member" is someone who:

• Is 60 years old or over, or
• Receives benefits such as:
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
  • Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI),
  • Aid to the Aged, Blind or Disabled (AABD) Cash or Medical,
  • Veteran's Benefits, or
  • Some other state and/or federal disability payments.

Some qualifying members may be considered two separate SNAP units even though they purchase and make their food with the people they live with. Check with your local IDHS office if you think this applies to you.

SNAP benefits can be used to buy foods for the household to eat, such as:

• Breads and cereals,
• Fruits and vegetables,
• Meats, fish, and poultry,
• Dairy products,
• Other foods, such as snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages, and
• Seeds and plants that produce food for the household to eat.

SNAP benefits also can also be used to pay for:

• Meals-on-wheels,
• Group community dining,
• Meals at approved shelters, restaurants, treatment centers, and group living homes, and
• Food from certified farmers markets and farm stands.

Some markets and food stands will allow people to purchase twice the value of their benefits.

Restaurant Meals Program 
The Restaurant Meals Program allows certain people to use their SNAP benefits at restaurants. This includes people who:

• Are 60 years old or over (and their spouses),
• Have a disability (and their spouses), or
• Are homeless.

Currently, only select restaurants in Chicago are participating in this program. The IDHS has the most up to date information about the Restaurant Meals Program and participating restaurants.

SNAP benefits cannot be used to buy:

• Hot foods that are ready to eat (other than those eligible for the Restaurant Meals Program),
• Food intended to be heated in the store,
• Lunch counter items or foods to be eaten in the store,
• To pay off old grocery bills,
• Vitamins, medicines, or supplements,
• Nonfood items such as pet foods, cleaning supplies, hygiene items, cosmetics, soaps, paper products, and other household supplies,
• Live animals, except for shellfish, fish removed from water, and animals slaughtered prior to pick-up from the store,
• Alcoholic beverages, or
• Cigarettes or tobacco.

It is illegal to sell a Link card or allow others to use a Link card in return for cash. Doing this can cause loss of SNAP benefits and potentially criminal charges.

Beginning in February 2026, some people who get SNAP benefits will have to meet work requirements to keep getting benefits. These rules apply mostly to adults between ages 18 and 64 who do not have a disability and do not take care of children or other dependents. People in this group are called “able-bodied adults without dependents,” or ABAWDs for short.

Under the rules, ABAWDs must work, volunteer, or be in a job training program for at least 80 hours each month to stay eligible for SNAP. If they do not meet this requirement for three months in a three-year period, their benefits can stop until they meet the work rule again or qualify for an exemption.

There are some exceptions to the work rule. People who think the rule might apply to them can talk to their local IDHS office or a legal aid program to learn more about their rights and what counts as work or training. Learn more about SNAP work requirements.

The income limits for SNAP depends on two things:

• The size of the SNAP unit, and
• Whether anyone in the household is elderly or disabled.

Most households have to meet both a monthly gross income test and a monthly net income test to be eligible for SNAP benefits. Everyone who lives together and prepares meals together is grouped together as one SNAP unit. The Illinois IDHS SNAP calculator will help determine if someone is eligible for SNAP benefits. The calculator will also give them an idea of how much they would receive.

The maximum amount of SNAP benefits a household can get is listed on the IDHS website.

In some situations, there are also asset limits for SNAP. Assets are the things that people have that are worth money. Under the requirements for SNAP, a person does not need to meet any asset limits unless one of the following is true:

• Someone in the household has been disqualified because of an Intentional Program Violation (IPV) or has a work provision sanction. To qualify for SNAP benefits in this case, the asset limit for the rest of the household is $3,000; or
• The household has a “qualifying member.”

To qualify for SNAP benefits in this case, the asset limit is $4,500. A qualifying member someone who:

• Is age 60 or older,
• Receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI),
• Receives Social Security disability or blindness benefits,
• Receives Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (cash or medical),
• Is a certain type of veteran or their surviving family members,
• Receives a federal, state, or local government disability pension and is considered permanently with disabilities,
• Receives Railroad Retirement disability benefits, or
• Receives a yearly payment from Railroad Retirement and is eligible for Medicare.

The amount of SNAP benefits received depends on the number of people in the SNAP unit, a person’s income and assets, and their expenses.

DHS provides a SNAP calculator for people interested in a general idea of how much SNAP they might be eligible for. Please note this tool is not an application for SNAP benefits.

IDHS has up to 30 days to process an application for SNAP benefits from the day they receive the signed application. By then, the applicant will get a letter saying whether IDHS approved or denied their request. If approved, the letter will show the amount of monthly SNAP benefits they will receive. If denied, the applicant has the right to appeal the decision. People denied SNAP benefits can try to get food at food banks across the state that give out free meals and food.

Applications may be delayed if they are not fully filled out. They may also be delayed if IDHS needs additional information or documentation. Quickly providing all required information to IDHS will assist them in processing a timely application.

Application status can be checked by calling the IDHS help line at (800) 843-6154 (TTY: (800) 447-6404).

If someone has an emergency and needs SNAP benefits sooner than 30 days, they can apply for expedited SNAP benefits.

People need to report any change that could affect their SNAP eligibility or the amount of money in SNAP benefits that you receive within 10 days of learning of the change. 

For income-related changes, the date the first payment is received is considered the date you learned of the change.

SNAP recipients must report:

• When someone in the household gets, changes, or loses a job.
• When monthly earned income changes by more than $125.
• When the source of unearned income changes, or when unearned income changes by more than $125.
• When an order to pay child support changes or ends.
• A change in household size, such as a new baby joining the family or someone moving out.
• New housing costs, such as rent going up.
• A death in the household.
• A change of address or discharge from a long-term care (nursing home) or supportive living facility.
• If total cash on hand, stocks, bonds, and money in the bank is more than $3,000 for non-qualifying members or $4,500 for households with a disabled, blind, or elderly household member.
• When someone in the household has $4,500 or more in lottery or gambling winnings. 

All changes can be reported through a Manage My Case online account. If not using an online account, the SNAP Program Change Report Form must be used to report changes of income in a SNAP household. This form must be printed, filled out, and mailed or faxed to the SNAP recipient’s local FCRC. SNAP recipients can report a change of address over the phone with the IDHS helpline (800) 843-6154.

Students enrolled at least half-time in a college, university, or technical, trade or vocational school may be eligible for SNAP benefits. At least one of the below criteria about the student must be true:

• They are under 18 years old or over 50 years old,
• They are physically or mentally unfit,
• They work an average of 20 hours per week,
• They receive Temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) cash assistance,
• They are a single parent of a child under 12, regardless of whether adequate child care is available,
• They are responsible for the care of a child under the age of 6, living in their home,
• They are responsible for the care of a child in their home between 6 and 11 years old, and adequate child care is not available for school or work, or
• They participate in an on-the-job training program.

Students enrolled in a specific employment and training program for low-income households directly through their schools, may also be eligible for SNAP. 

The student must also meet all other SNAP requirements.

Students can check their eligibility for SNAP on Illinois’ College SNAP Project.

If someone is running out of money and cannot wait the regular 30-day period to get SNAP benefits, they can apply for expedited SNAP benefits. Expedited means to speed up the process. If successful, SNAP benefits can be issued five days from when the emergency application was submitted.

Expedited SNAP benefits are available in one of 3 ways:

• A person’s monthly income and assets are less than their monthly rent or mortgage payment and utility bills,
• A person has less than $100 on hand and in the bank. Also, if their gross monthly income is less than $150, or
• They have less than $100 on hand and in the bank. One person in the household must be a migrant who is not expecting to make more than $25 in the next 10 days after applying for SNAP benefits.

For SNAP households with a member paying court-ordered child support, the court-ordered child support amount is excluded from the household's total gross income when determining eligibility for expedited service. 

Expedited SNAP benefits are for families who do not already get SNAP. Those approved for expedited food stamps, will be interviewed by IDHS on the day they apply or the next business day.

Yes. People can appeal IDHS’ denial of their SNAP application or changes to their SNAP benefits.

It is important to note the deadlines for filing an appeal. For SNAP cases, the deadline is 90 days from the date on the notice or the IDHS action in question. The deadline is shorter if someone wants to continue their SNAP benefits. These people will need to request a hearing before their benefits are scheduled to be reduced or stopped. The denial or reduction notice will list the date an appeal must be filed to have benefits continue.

Some examples of decisions a person might want to appeal are: 

• They were denied benefits after filing an application,
• Their benefits were reduced or suspended,
• Their benefits were stopped or terminated,
• They were given the wrong amount of benefits,
• IDHS staff refused to accept their application, or
• Their caseworker failed to do something on the case.

If an appeal is filed, IDHS will review the case or application again. IDHS will also schedule a meeting, which is called a pre-hearing conference, before the official hearing. During this conference, a IDHS caseworker will work with the person appealing to see if they can resolve the issue. This meeting is often held over the phone.

If the appeal is not resolved, the person appealing will receive a written statement of facts explaining IDHS's action or inaction. They will also receive a notice scheduling a hearing for their appeal. Most hearings take place over the phone and are conducted by a hearing officer. 

During the appeal hearing, IDHS staff testify about what they did and why. The person appealing can also testify and provide other evidence about what IDHS did and why it was wrong. Any evidence must be submitted to the hearing officer before the hearing date to ensure it is taken into consideration. The hearing is tape recorded.

After the hearing, the agency will send out a written decision on the appeal. They should also explain why they made their decision. 

Although a lawyer isn’t required, it is a good idea to get one if possible. If a person can’t get a lawyer, they can have a friend or relative speak on their behalf. The person does not have to be a lawyer. It’s important to tell the IDHS appeals office ahead of time, in writing, if someone will be representing the person appealing. This must be done at least three working days before the hearing.

For more information see Appealing a SNAP benefits decision.

Yes, they can withdraw their SNAP benefits appeal with IDHS if they choose. If an appeal is withdrawn, the appeal is over and there will be no formal hearing.

They should only consider withdrawing if:

• They are sure IDHS actions are correct, or
• The caseworker or supervisor has promised to reverse or modify the action.

Withdrawals of SNAP appeals must be made in writing on the Request to Withdraw Appeal form. Both the IDHS representative and the person withdrawing should sign the withdrawal form. If IDHS does not live up to their promise, another appeal can be filed based on their failure to keep their end of the bargain.

It’s important to speak with a lawyer, if possible, before withdrawing an appeal.