SNAP · FY2027
Illinois Food Stamp Calculator
The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) runs SNAP and loads it on the Illinois Link Card; you apply through ABE. Illinois has two gross limits: 165% of poverty for most households ($3,757 for three) and 200% for households with a member who is 60+ or disabled. Three people can get up to $808.
Your estimate
Illinois · 1 person.
- Likely eligible
- Figures verified October 5, 2026
Manual Release 26.26
IDHS released its October 2026 standards in Manual Release 26.26: Air Conditioning/Heating $565, Limited Utility $472, Single Utility $80 and Telephone $69, plus a homeless standard of $206. The release lists standard deductions of $213 to $304 — four dollars below the $217 to $308 in USDA’s FY2027 memo. We use USDA’s federal figures; if your Illinois notice shows the lower deduction, expect your benefit to be about a dollar less than ours.
The 200% line matters for older residents because that path has no net income or asset test. A Chicago retiree on $2,300 a month — above the usual 165% limit of $2,195 for one — with $1,100 rent plus heat and $200 in medical costs would still qualify, at about $25.
Only in parts of Illinois
Illinois’s Restaurant Meals Program operates only in Cook and Franklin counties. Statewide, Illinois excludes child support you pay from income, does not disqualify people for past drug felonies, and pays transitional benefits. Newer cases receive benefits between the 1st and 10th.
Illinois’s FY2025 payment error rate was 14.67%. Because 1.5 times that exceeds 20%, the state’s share of benefit costs starts in FY2029.
By household size
| People | Max | Gross limit | Senior† |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $306 | $2,195 | $184 |
| 2 | $562 | $2,976 | $227 |
| 3 | $808 | $3,757 | $260 |
| 4 | $1,023 | $4,538 | $267 |
| 5 | $1,217 | $5,319 | $330 |
| 6 | $1,463 | $6,100 | $446 |
| Pay‡ | $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,000 | $2,500 | $3,000 | $3,500 | $4,000 | $4,500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IL | $808 | $743 | $623 | $445 | $265 | $85 | — | — |
† 60+ or disabled, income at the poverty line, $700 rent. ‡ Family of 3, $900 rent. How these are worked out.
Utility allowances
| Type | Oct 2026 |
|---|---|
| Air Conditioning/Heating Standard | $565 |
| Limited Utility Standard | $472 |
| Single Utility Standard | $80 |
| Telephone Standard | $69 |
Where to apply
| Apply | abe.illinois.gov |
|---|---|
| Program | Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) |
| Card | Illinois Link Card |
| Phone | 800-843-6154 |
| Offices | dhs.state.il.us |
| Deposits | 1st–10th for newer cases, set by the head of household’s ID number |
Next door
Sources
FY2027 COLA memo · BBCE chart · IDHS Manual Release #26.26: October 2026 SNAP Adjustments due to COLA · IDHS Manual Release #26.26: October 2026 SNAP Adjustments due to COLA · Restaurant Meals Program · State Options Report · FY2025 error rates · USDA directory · all sources
* not yet verified for Oct 2026.