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State of Illinois Food Stamps Requirements

Occasionally, individuals in Illinois who work hard to support their families don't have enough money left over to feed them. The state of Illinois provides supplemental income to those families to assist them in buying food. Formerly called food stamps, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides cash amounts on LINK cards that can be used to purchase groceries for needy families. There are requirements individuals and families must fulfill before receiving SNAP benefits.

  1. Application Requirements

    • Illinois SNAP benefit candidates are required to fill out an application. The application must include the applicant's name, address, telephone number, signature, the immigration status of the applicant and the other people included in the applicant's household, their race, the language spoken at home, the number of people in the home, the pregnancy status of the applicant and other household members, the income amount, the amount of rent/mortgage, the cost of heat, electricity and gas, and the name, date of birth and Social Security number of the applicant and anyone else in the household who will cook and/or eat food with the applicant.

    Documentation Requirements

    • Applicants will need to bring their SNAP application to DHS office along with supporting documentation, including government-issued photo identification, proof of address, birth certificate and Social Security cards of everyone included on the application, proof of citizenship status, proof of income, rent receipts, utility bills, and any other documentation to support the information included in the application.

    Income Requirements

    • Families who receive money for groceries through Illinois's SNAP program have to meet certain income requirements; maximum income levels vary with household size. Applicants with one person in the household may not have a gross monthly income exceeding $1,174. The gross monthly limit for a household of two is $1,579. The limit for three people is $1,984. The gross monthly limit for four people and above are as follows: four $2,389, five $2,794, six $3,200, seven $3,605, eight $4,010, nine $4,416 and ten $4,822. In households with more than ten people, add $406 per person to calculate the maximum monthly income allowable.

    Immigration Requirements

    • Immigrant SNAP applicants in Illinois must have a child under 18 who is a legal permanent resident and has at least has been on parole for a year or more, or is a conditional entrant or a child of someone on a Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petition. Immigrants may also receive SNAP benefits if they've been any of the following for five or more years: a legal permanent resident, on parole, a conditional entrant or a VAWA self petitioner.

    Additional Requirements

    • Individuals also qualify for Illinois SNAP benefits if they are a refugee, asylum recipient, victim of human trafficking, United States veteran, service person or one of their family members, or if they have been withheld from deportation.

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