Illinois Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients can expect their benefit payments to be deposited monthly on the Illinois electronic benefit card, also called the Illinois Link EBT Card. Recipients receive their Link Card once approved for benefits. The card may be swiped in a card reader just like a regular credit or debit card.

                By                    Josephine Nesbit

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Previously known as food stamps, SNAP benefits can be used to purchase groceries and snacks as well as food-producing seeds and plants at retail stores and farmers markets that accept EBT cards as payment. SNAP cannot be used to purchase alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, vitamins, certain live animals, foods that are hot at the point of sale or nonfood items.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture expanded allotments of SNAP benefits under an emergency declaration during the pandemic. All households in Illinois with these benefits have received emergency allotments of at least $95. Households will automatically receive their supplemental EA SNAP benefits on their Illinois Link Card. Payments have been extended for Illinois SNAP recipients through April 2022. 

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The date on which payments are deposited onto your Link Card depends on the last number of your individually assigned case number. 

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If you had a SNAP case that was converted from a legacy case, you will keep your legacy availability date of either the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 13th, 17th or 20th.

For new cases on the Link system, benefits are deposited between the 1st and 10th of the month. The specific date depends on the last digit of the head of household’s individual identification number, according to the Illinois Department of Human Services.

Regular roll benefits issued through the Illinois Link system are available no later than 3:00 a.m. on the same date every month, including holidays and weekends.