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You can use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to buy food. The money comes from the federal government but is administered in Illinois by the Illinois Department of Human Services. Anyone who meets the requirements can get these benefits. The most important rules in figuring out SNAP eligibility are:
- Monthly income,
- Size of household, and
- Expenses.
The income limits for SNAP depends on two things:
- The size of your SNAP unit, and
- Whether anyone in your 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. Go to the Illinois Department of Human Services' SNAP calculator to see if you might be eligible for SNAP benefits. The calculator will also give you an idea of how much you would receive.
You can also see the limits on the DHS website.
Asset limits for SNAP
In some situations, there are also asset limits for SNAP. Assets are the things that you have that are worth money. Under the requirements for SNAP, you do not need to meet any asset limits unless one of the following is true:
- Someone in your 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 $2,750; or
- Your household has a “qualifying member.”
To qualify for SNAP benefits in this case, the asset limit is $4,250. 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.
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