Health & Benefits

The Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) has up to 30 days to process your application for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from the day they receive your signed application. You will get a letter telling you if DHS has approved or denied your request. If you are approved, the letter will show you the amount of monthly SNAP benefits you will receive. If you are denied, you have the right to appeal the decision. To check the status of your application, you can call the DHS help line at (800) 843-6154 (TTY: (800) 447-6404).

In some cases, you may need to get SNAP benefits sooner. If you need your SNAP benefits sooner than 30 days, you can apply for emergency or expedited SNAP benefits.