In Illinois, the Department of Human Services (DHS) is in charge of SNAP, a program that aids low-income households in getting the food they require for better health. Illinois SNAP members can consider having their benefits deposited on their Illinois Link Cards every month. The same deposit schedule for SNAP benefits is used each month, and payments for January will also include the 12.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that has been granted for 2023.
SNAP benefits are available to the majority of low-income families, based on the Illinois DHS. The number of persons who live and eat in the same family, as well as their income and expenses, all play a role in eligibility. Once funds are approved by the DHS, Link Cards are issued.
Illinois residents can use the Application for Benefits Eligibility (ABE) portal to submit an online SNAP application.
Benefits from SNAP programs in Illinois and other states include discounts on a variety of goods and services in addition to the opportunity to buy food. For example, Illinois SNAP participants can sign up for a $6.99 monthly Amazon Prime EBT reduced subscription. Also, you can use your EBT card to get free or reduced admission to hundreds of parks, aquariums, and museums across the country. The Federal Lifeline Program offers everything from complimentary to affordable landline and mobile phone service.
With the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), eligible SNAP beneficiaries can use their Link Card to pay for hot meals. As to using your Link Card to pay for a meal, be careful to call and confirm whether the restaurant is a member of RMP.
Your case number’s last number determines when payments are placed onto your Link Card. You will maintain your legacy eligibility date of either the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, thirteenth, seventeenth, or twentieth if your SNAP case was changed from a legacy case.
