WAG 25-06-07-p: State Exempt 07/01/2022 through 10/31/2025

State Operation Under COVID - 19

  • Effective 07/01/2022, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) waiver approval allows the entire State to continue to be exempt from the SNAP Work Requirement Time-Limited Benefits policy through new manual material10/31/2025 based on Illinois' high unemployment rate.
  • Effective 04/01/2020, prior to the waiver approval from Food Nutrition Service (FNS) to exempt the entire State:
    • H.R. 6201, Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Title III - Section 2301, temporarily suspended the work and training requirements in Illinois during the COVID-19 crisis. 
    • In addition to the suspension of the SNAP Work Requirement policy, Illinois issued policy to permit SNAP customers subject to time-limited benefits in DuPage County the ability to claim Good Cause for the month of March 2020, if unable to comply with the SNAP Work Requirement due to the COVID-19 crisis. DuPage County customers who had received their 3 months of time-limited benefits and were not currently active for SNAP due to not regaining eligibility were allowed to file a new application for benefits effective 04/01/2020 under the exception granted by Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) due to the COVID-19 crisis.
    • For Cook County, a 12 percent exemption was applied to the month of March for nonexempt customers living in Cook County who would have lost eligibility for April due to not meeting the Work Requirement.

NOTE: Although the federal public health emergency has ended, Illinois still experiences a high unemployment rate.

ABAWD Time-Limited Clock Status Prior to COVID-19

  • The 3-year fixed period began 01/01/2018 and ended 12/31/2020.
  • Effective 01/01/2018, SNAP Work Requirement was implemented for nonexempt SNAP customers residing in DuPage County. January 2018 was the first countable (unmet) month for a nonexempt customer not meeting the Work Requirement in DuPage County.
  • Effective 01/01/2020, nonexempt SNAP customers residing in Cook County were required to comply with the SNAP Work Requirement. January 2020 was the first countable (unmet) month for an individual not meeting the Work Requirement in Cook County. 
  • All other counties in the State were waived and not subject to the SNAP Work Requirement policy.
  • Due the COVID-19 Pandemic the SNAP Work Requirement was suspended effective 04/01/2020. See State Operation Under COVID-19 section above.

Current ABAWD Time-Limited Clock Status

  • Although the ABAWD time limited clock is not in effect due to Illinois' high unemployment rate, the current 3-year fixed period began New Manual Material 01/01/2024 and ends 12/31/2026.
  • The next 3-year fixed period begins New Manual Material 01/01/2027 and ends 12/31/2029.