Apply for Benefits
Apply Online
Use the Application for Benefits Eligibility (ABE) to apply for SNAP, cash or medical assistance - online, anytime.
Apply Using a Paper Application
- Download the application
- Follow the directions on the form. Type in as much information as you can. If you can't answer all the questions, that's ok. You must include your name and address. You may print out the application and write on it if you prefer. You must sign the form.
- Once you've completed the application, carry, mail or fax it to your local Family Community Resource Center. Use the DHS Office Locator to locate your local office.
Apply At Your local Family Community Resource Center
- Applications are taken at DHS local offices. Use the DHS Office Locator to locate the Family Community Resource Center in your county to apply for benefits.
Apply Using the Phone
- Please call our toll-free line ABE Help Line at 1-800-843-6154 (Voice), Nextalk 1-800-324-5553, 711 TTY Relay, if you have questions or need help with the application.
What happens next?
The application process begins the day your DHS office receives your signed application. You will be asked to come to the office for an interview or participate by phone if you are unable to come to the office.
You will be asked for various types of documents such as:
- proof of your identity
- proof of your residence
- proof of Social Security numbers for all people on your application
- other types of documents depending on your circumstances.
The DHS caseworker will tell you what you need.
Contact Information
DHS, USDA, and HHS are equal opportunity providers and employers.
- Department of Human Services
EEO/AA Office
401 S. Clinton Street, 7th floor
Chicago, IL 60607
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
Director, Office of Adjudication
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington D.C. 20250-9410
Toll Free (866) 632-9992 (Voice)
Individuals who are hearing impaired or have speech disabilities
may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at
(800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish).
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Director, Office for Civil Rights,
Room 506-F
HHS Building
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
(202) 619-0403 (Voice)
(202) 619-3257 (TTY)
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant's name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to:
mail:
Food and Nutrition Service, USDA
1320 Braddock Place, Room 334
Alexandria, VA 22314; or
fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Additional Illinois Nondiscrimination Information
You may also write the Department of Human Services (IDHS) at Department of Human Services, Bureau of Civil Affairs, 401 South Clinton St., 6th Floor, Chicago, Illinois, 60607 or call the IDHS Helpline Number at 1-800-843-6154 or 866-324-5553 TTY/Nextalk or 711 Relay.
DHS, HHS, and USDA are equal opportunity providers and employers.
The State of Illinois provides reasonable accommodations according to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
More Information & Resources
