How to maintain your SNAP benefits
Double check your situation.
There are new SNAP rules from the federal government as of February 2026. Now, you must meet work requirements if you:
- Are between 18 and 64 years old
- Have no disabilities
- Either have no children, or your children are 14 or older
- Are not the primary caretaker of an adult, who needs help caring for themselves
- Are not in a drug or alcohol treatment program
- Are not enrolled at least part-time in a school or college
If any of the above do not apply to you, you may qualify for an exemption from the work requirements. Otherwise, you must meet the work requirements to maintain your benefits.
Not sure if you’re exempt? Use the Screener Portal to check.
Need to submit an exemption? You can do so online using Manage My Case. For help, call the ABE Customer Service at 1-800-843-6154, or visit your local Family Community Resource Center.
Meet your monthly work requirements.
If you do not qualify for an exemption:
- You must spend an average of 20 hours per week, or 80 hours per month, earning work hours.
- Work hours can come from a job (paid or unpaid); volunteering; a work training program; or a combination of all three.
| Job | Volunteering | Work training program | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What does this mean? | Any job that pays you for your work, or an unpaid job like an internship. | Offering your time to a local organization free of charge. This could be a food bank, church, animal shelter, or other community-based or nonprofit organization. | An approved work training program that offers basic education or vocational training. |
| Where can I find these opportunities? | Use IllinoisJobLink to create resumes, search job openings, and apply to jobs. For a thorough search, we recommend also exploring public job posting sites, such as LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, or Indeed. |
Use online search tools like Serve Illinois or Idealist to find in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities. You may also contact churches or other organizations in your community directly to ask about volunteer opportunities. |
Use the Employment & Training Opportunity Office Locator to locate IDHS partners near you. These partners can either offer you training, or help you locate and connect to training programs. If there are no available programs near you, you can access the Job Ready IL program online at any time. |
| How do I report these hours once I've earned them? | You only need to report a new job, or changes to your existing job.
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Most training programs will submit your hours on your behalf. However, if you use the Job Ready IL online program, you will need to manually submit your completed hours to your FCRC representative. Check the instructions on the platform for more information. |
Remember that you do not need to obtain all of your work hours through just one option. For example, you may earn 10 hours per week at a job, and another 10 hours per week volunteering.
Get support from an expert.
This process can be challenging. You don’t have to go it alone.
Your local Family Community Resource Center (FCRC) has experts waiting to help you keep your benefits. To find your nearest FCRC, use the Office Locator.
You may choose to visit your FCRC in person, or call the phone number provided.
If you are unable to contact your FCRC for any reason, you can reach out to IDHS directly using the Help is Here toll-free line at 1-833-2-FIND-HELP.
While JobReadyIL.com can be a helpful tool to meet your work hours requirement, SNAP eligibility is not determined by JobReadyIL.com. SNAP eligibility is determined by IDHS. Participation in JobReadyIL.com alone does not guarantee SNAP eligibility.
For questions about SNAP eligibility, the application and renewal process, and related concerns, call the ABE Customer Service at 1-800-843-6154 or visit your local Family Community Resource Center.