WAG 25-01-01: Policy Questions

How to Get Answers to Policy Questions

• Case-specific questions about policy and procedures should be directed to the Illinois Department of Human Services  (IDHS) Bureau of Policy Development (BPD).
• BPD answers questions about the Cash and SNAP Programs. BPD forwards questions about Medicaid eligibility to Healthcare and Family Service's (HFS) Bureau of Medical Eligibility Policy (BMEP) for their response.
• Questions can be sent to BPD by regular mail, e-mail, or fax. Questions are answered within 8 workdays. A copy of the answer is sent to each person copied on the original question.

Questions when an Actual Appeal Hearings is Pending

BPD will not respond to questions involving a case with an actual appeal hearing pending. All customers have the right to go through the appeal hearing process and have an appeals officer determine if policy was applied appropriately (PM 01-07-10). The FCRC must follow the directions of the Final Appeal Decision (PM 01-07-11).

The FCRC may still send questions to BPD when the case is at or before the pre-appeal hearing level (PM 01-07-07).

Case Specific Questions

• Case specific questions should be sent using Request for Specific Case Guidance (Form 2150). 
• Form 2150 should only be sent to BPD when the circumstances of the case cannot be resolved to establish eligibility by the Family Community Resource Center (FCRC) staff.
• All 2150's submitted to BPD must include the Local Office Administrator's signature. Form 2150 will be returned unanswered to the FCRC if the Local Office Administrator's signature is omitted.
• When sending Form 2150 to BPD, copy the Local Office Administrator (LOA), Regional Administrator (RA) and Regional Training Coordinator.
• BPD's answer on Form 2150 is for the specific case only and cannot be used or cited for other cases.

General Policy Questions

Form 2150 is only used when questions are about a specific case. After obtaining the LOA's  approval, general policy questions can be emailed to dhs.policydevelopment@illinois.gov.

Send Form 2150 Questions by Regular Mail, Fax or Email

For help in deciding how a policy affects a specific case:

1. Complete a Request for Specific Case Guidance (Form 2150).
2. Provide all the information on Form 2150 that applies to the case in question (case name and number, office name and location, benefit type, and the policy manual reference number). Include the name of the person completing Form 2150 and copy the Local Office Administrator, Regional Administrator and the Regional Training Coordinator.
3. Summarize the case details and if needed, attach any supporting documents. This information is necessary in order to provide an accurate response.
4. If the question involves a pending application, or pending pre-hearing conference, include the date.
5. Send a completed and signed Form 2150: