PM 03-25-02: Eligibility Limits

WAG 03-25-02

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 in this section through revised text10/31/2025 based on Illinois' high unemployment rate.deleted text

The SNAP Work Requirement Time-Limited benefits policy below is not in effect for any county in the State through revised text10/31/2025.

Eligibility Limits

  • A person who is required to comply with Work Requirement is limited to 3 months of SNAP benefits in a 36-month period if the Work Requirement is not met. 
  • The 36-month period is a fixed time period that begins 01/01/2024 and ends 12/31/2026.
  • A SNAP application prorated benefit month does not count toward the 3 months.

Maintaining Eligibility

  • In order to continue ongoing eligibility for SNAP, the individual must meet the Work Requirement monthly so that a month is not counted as unmet and eligibility is lost.
  • If the individual is exempt for the month, the month is not considered as a countable month. The three countable months can be any month during the 36-month period. The time-limited benefit months do not have to be consecutive.
  • Only the individual(s) who is not meeting the Work Requirement is ineligible for benefits.