07/11/2022
Summary
- This manual release provides policy clarifications for individuals who apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and are:
- live-in attendants, roomers, or boarders;
- SNAP households who claim dependent care expenses while looking for work.
- A live-in-attendant is a person that lives with the SNAP household to provide medical care, housekeeping, childcare, or other similar personal services. A live-in attendant cannot be included in the same SNAP household that it provides services to but may apply for their own separate SNAP benefits.
- A roomer is a person that lives with a household and pays for their own lodging, but not their meals. A person that pays for lodging, but not meals, may apply for their own separate SNAP benefits.
- A boarder is a person paying reasonable monthly compensation for lodging and meals.
- A person living in a commercial boarding house is not eligible to receive SNAP. A commercial boarding house is an establishment licensed to offer meals and lodging for compensation with the intent to make a profit. All other persons whose living arrangement is with a household that provides meals and lodging services are considered boarders if paying reasonable compensation for meals and lodging.
- Boarders cannot receive SNAP benefits separate and apart from the household providing the room and board. A boarder may be included, along with their spouse and/or children living with them, as members of the SNAP household providing the boarder services but only at the request of the SNAP household. If excluded, the boarder still cannot receive SNAP benefits on their own case.
- A person paying less than reasonable monthly compensation for board is not a boarder and must be considered, along with their spouse and children living with him or her, as a member of the household providing the boarder services.
- For a person whose board arrangement is for 3 or more meals per day, "reasonable monthly compensation" must be an amount that equals or exceeds the maximum SNAP allotment for the appropriate size of the boarder household.
- For a person whose board arrangement is for less than 3 meals per day, "reasonable monthly compensation" must be an amount that equals or exceeds two-thirds of the maximum SNAP allotment for the appropriate size of the boarder household.
- The boarder household size is the boarder and his or her spouse, their children and any other person that the boarder considers to be members of their household. The household size does not include members of the household providing the boarder services.
- IES system rules are updated to correctly include or exclude a person who is a boarder based on policy rules.
- Clarifies that payments made for dependent care may be allowed when necessary for a SNAP household member to search for work regardless of whether the person is participating in an employment and training program.
- This manual release includes minor revisions to the wording and/or examples on (elderly/disabled status) in WAG 04-05-02, (parents share joint custody) in WAG 04-05-03 and (foster children and adults) in WAG 04-05-05 to help clarify the policy. There is no change to the policy for these households.
- A correction to WAG 01-03-02 indicates that verification of housing/shelter costs is not required.
- Also includes PM/WAG page revisions to update language references to SNAP or SNAP household formerly referred to as FS, food stamps, and SNAP unit. A red arrow is not shown for this type of change.
- This manual release provides policy clarifications for individuals who apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and are:
- live-in attendants, roomers, boarders;
- SNAP households who claim dependent care expenses while looking for work.
Live-in Attendants
A live-in attendant is a person that lives with a household to provide medical care, housekeeping, childcare, or other similar personal services. A live-in attendant cannot be included in the same SNAP household that it provides services to but may apply for their own separate SNAP benefits.
Roomers
A roomer is a person that lives with a household and pays for their own lodging, but not their meals. Roomers may participate as a separate SNAP household.
Boarders
A boarder is a person paying reasonable monthly compensation for lodging and meals.
Commercial Boarding House
- A person living in a commercial boarding house is not eligible to receive SNAP. The number of residents has no effect on whether the establishment is or is not a boarding house.
- A commercial boarding house is:
- An establishment licensed as a commercial enterprise that offers meals and lodging for compensation; or
- If located in an area without licensing requirements, a commercial establishment offering meals and lodging for compensation with the intent to make a profit.
Living With a Household Providing Meals and Lodging
- All other persons whose living arrangement is with a household that provides meals and lodging are considered boarders if paying reasonable monthly compensation for meals and lodging.
- A boarder cannot receive SNAP independently of the household providing the boarder services.
- A boarder may be included, along with a spouse and/or children living with them, as members of the SNAP household providing the boarder services but only at the request of the SNAP household. If included, consider as one SNAP household. The monthly compensation is added to any other income of the household providing the boarder services for the total gross income to use in the eligibility determination.
- If excluded, the boarder still cannot receive SNAP benefits on their own case. The monthly compensation is not considered income for the household providing the boarder services.
Reasonable Monthly Compensation
A person is paying reasonable monthly compensation for lodging and meals if the payment meets one of the following:
-
- For a person whose board arrangement is for 3 or more meals per day, "reasonable monthly compensation" must be an amount that equals or exceeds the maximum SNAP allotment for the appropriate size of the boarder household.
- Example: The boarder household consists of Mr. B, his spouse and their child. Mr. B and his family live in the home of Ms. J, who uses a section of her house to provide people with lodging and meals. Mr. B and his family are Ms. J's current occupants. During the interview, Mr. B states that he pays $500 monthly for lodging and $700 monthly for 3 meals a day for himself and his family. The maximum SNAP allotment for a household of 3 is $658. Mr. B pays reasonable monthly compensation of $700 for 3 meals per day which exceeds the maximum SNAP allotment for his house size of 3.
- For a person whose board arrangement is for less than 3 meals per day, "reasonable monthly compensation" must be an amount that equals or exceeds two-thirds of the maximum SNAP allotment for the appropriate size of the boarder household.
- Example: The boarder household consists of Ms. G and her two children. Ms. G pays $500 for lodging and $500 for 2 meals per day for herself and her two children. The maximum SNAP allotment for a household of 3 is $658. Ms. G must pay at least 2/3 of $658.
- (658 x 2) = 1,316 ÷ 3 = 438.67 (drop cents). Ms. G pays $500 for meals which exceeds $438.
- The boarder household size is the boarder and his or her spouse, their children and any other person that the boarder considers to be members of their household. The household size does not include members of the household providing the boarder services.
- Use only the amount paid for meals to determine if the person pays reasonable monthly compensation, provided that the amount paid for meals is distinguishable from the amount paid for lodging. If the amount a boarder pays for meals cannot be separated from the amount paid for a room, the total amount paid for room and board is compared to the maximum SNAP allotment for the appropriate size of the boarder household.
Treatment of Income and Resources
Do not count the income and resources of a boarder who is not included as a member of the household. When the boarder is a household member, count his/her income and resources as available in their entirety to the household.
Not a Boarder
A person paying less than reasonable monthly compensation is NOT a boarder and must be considered, along with a spouse and/or children living with him or her, as a member of the household providing the boarder services because food is purchased and prepared together.
System Changes
IES system rules are updated to correctly include or exclude an individual who is a boarder based on policy rules.
Dependent Care Expenses
Payments for dependent care are allowable when necessary for a household member to search for employment, regardless of participation in an employment and training program.
Miscellaneous Revisions
This manual release includes minor revisions to the wording and/or examples on (elderly/disabled status) in WAG 04-05-02, (parents share joint custody) in WAG 04-05-03 and (foster children and adults) in WAG 04-05-05 to help clarify the policy. There is not a change to the policy for these households.
A correction to WAG 01-03-02 indicates that verification of housing/shelter costs is not required.
This manual release includes PM/WAG page revisions to update language references to SNAP or SNAP household formerly referred to as FS, food stamps, and SNAP unit. A red arrow is not shown for this type of change.
Manual Revisions
[signed copy on file]
Grace B. Hou
Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services
Forms referenced:
