Please help us gather information about problems with Illinois’s Food Stamp Program

The National Center on Poverty Law and the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago have been receiving reports of persons who have had problems obtaining food stamp benefits from the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Attorneys from these organizations will discuss their concerns at a meeting with government representatives in mid-June.

We need your help in gathering examples of food stamp problems so that we can present as complete and accurate a picture of these problems as possible.

If you have, or anyone you know has, had one or more of the following problems, or any other problem, in obtaining food stamp benefits through IDHS or in a related appeal, please let us know right away:

• Applications.
For example, IDHS did not allow application on first visit, required completion of form (only name and date are required), or failed to determine eligibility. For example, IDHS did not allow application or determine eligibility for expedited food stamps, did not provide benefits in a timely manner, or improperly required verification of migrant worker’s income or immigration status. For example, IDHS improperly terminated or interrupted receipt of food stamp benefits for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients upon employment. For example, IDHS failed to offer or allow appeal, to offer a conference within two days of appeal for expedited food stamps, to conduct a hearing within 60 days for nonexpedited food stamps, to send adequate notice of the date and time of hearings, or to schedule hearings at reasonable intervals (as opposed to every five minutes). For example, IDHS did not properly budget medical expenses, child care, child support paid, or utilities.

We would like to receive responses by June 10 if possible. Later reports are appreciated, too. Please use the attached form to describe the problem and or contact Dory Rand at 312.263.3830 ext. 228