Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 12, March 22, 2024
a)
The deductions described in this Section shall be allowed in the determination
of the adjusted net monthly SNAP income.
b) Earned Income Deduction. Eighty percent of
total gross earned income is considered. See Sections
121.40 through
121.54 for a description of
earned income.
c) Standard
Deduction. The standard deduction for a household size of one through three
persons is $194. The standard deduction for a household size of four persons is
$204. The standard deduction for a household size of five persons is $240. For
households of six or more persons, the standard deduction is $275. Due to the
Standard Medical Deduction Demonstration Project, the standard deduction will
be adjusted as explained in subsection (h).
d) Dependent Care Deduction
1) The dependent care deduction consists of
payments for the care of a child or other dependent when necessary for a
household member to accept or continue employment or to seek employment in
compliance with the job search criteria or to attend training or pursue
education which is preparatory for employment (see 89 Ill. Adm. Code
112.70 through
112.83).
2) The amount of the deduction is to be
determined by the actual costs for care per month for each dependent household
member.
e) Shelter Costs
Deduction
1) The shelter deduction is the
amount of shelter costs that exceeds 50% of the household's total income after
the allowable deductions in subsections (b), (c), and (d) have been made. The
shelter deduction shall not exceed $672.
2) If the household contains a member who is
elderly or disabled, as defined at
7 CFR
271.2 (2013) and Section
121.61, there is no limit on the
amount of the excess shelter deduction.
3) Shelter costs include only the following:
A) continuing charges for the shelter
occupied by the household (rent, mortgage and other charges leading to the
ownership of the shelter, including interest on such charges);
B) property taxes, State and local
assessments and insurance on the structure itself; and
C) utility costs, as described in subsection
(g).
4) Shelter costs
for a home temporarily unoccupied by the household because of employment or
training away from home, illness or abandonment caused by a natural disaster or
casualty loss, if:
A) the household intends to
return to the home;
B) the current
occupants of the home, if any, are not claiming the shelter costs for SNAP
purposes; and
C) the home is not
leased or rented during the absence of the household.
5) Charges for repair of a home which was
damaged or destroyed due to a natural disaster. Shelter costs shall not include
repair charges which have been or will be reimbursed by private or public
relief agencies, insurance companies or any other source.
f) Homeless Shelter Deduction
The standard homeless shelter deduction is $179 a month for
households in which all members are homeless individuals but are not receiving
free shelter throughout the month. A homeless household with qualifying shelter
expenses may choose to use the standard homeless shelter deduction (in lieu of
the shelter deduction as described in subsection (e)), as a deduction from net
income in determining SNAP eligibility and allotments. A homeless household
receiving the standard homeless shelter deduction may not have its shelter
expenses considered as part of the shelter deduction or the standard utility
allowances. A homeless household may choose to claim actual costs under the
shelter deduction instead of claiming the standard homeless shelter deduction
if actual costs are higher and verified.
g) Utility Costs
1) Utility costs include:
A) the cost of heating and cooking fuel, air
conditioning, electricity, water, sewerage, garbage and trash
collection;
B) basic service fee
for one telephone (including tax on the basic fee) of $75; and
C) fees charged by the utility provider for
initial installation.
2)
Utility deposits are not considered to be utility costs.
3) A standard must be used if the household
is billed for utilities. Federal regulations require an annual review of the
State's utility standards and approval of the utility standard amounts by Food
and Nutrition Service (FNS). See subsection (e)(4) for households that claim
utility expenses for an unoccupied home. Households that are billed for heating
or air conditioning, or both, or heating, air conditioning and electricity,
must use the air conditioning/heating standard allowance of $577. Those
households that are not billed for air conditioning or heating but are billed
for at least two other utilities must use the limited utility standard
allowance of $386. Those households that are not billed for air conditioning or
heating but are billed for a single utility, other than telephone, must use the
single utility standard allowance of $62. If only a separately-billed telephone
expense is claimed, the basic telephone standard allowance of $75 per month
will be allowed. Households living in rental housing who are billed on a
regular basis by a landlord for costs for utilities must use the appropriate
standard.
4) A household that is
billed less often than monthly for its costs for utilities must continue to use
the appropriate standard between billing months.
5) Households in public housing or
privately-owned rental units that receive a bill for over-usage are entitled to
use the air conditioning/heating standard allowance. When households (as
defined at 7 CFR
273.1(a) (2013)) live
together, the air conditioning/heating standard allowance, the limited utility
standard allowance, or the single utility standard allowance, whichever is
appropriate, shall be allowed for each household that contributes toward the
utility costs whether or not each household participates in the
program.
6) Households whose
expense for heat or electricity, or both, is covered by indirect energy
assistance payments under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP) (47 Ill. Adm. Code 100) shall be entitled to the air
conditioning/heating standard allowance (7 CFR 273.9 and
273.10(d)(6)
(2013)). Households who receive a LIHEAP payment of $21 or more during the
month of application or the preceding 12-month period shall be allowed the air
conditioning/heating standard allowance (7 CFR 273.9 (2013)).
The provisions of subsection (e)(3) are applicable to households whose expenses
for heating or electricity, or both, are covered by indirect energy assistance
payments.
7) A household that has
both an occupied home and an unoccupied home is entitled to only one standard.
The appropriate utility standard may be used for the home the household
chooses.
h) Excess
Medical Deduction. A deduction for excess medical expenses shall be allowed for
households which contain an elderly or disabled member as defined at
7 CFR
271.2 (2013) and Section 121.61. When a
qualifying household member incurs medical expenses that are over $35 per
month, the household will be given a standard medical deduction if the expenses
will not be reimbursed by insurance or a third party. The standard medical
deduction is a result of a demonstration project authorized by USDA FNS. The
standard medical deduction is $450 a month for residents of group homes or
supportive living facilities and $150 a month for all other eligible
households. Households whose medical expenses exceed $485 and $185 a month,
respectively, may opt to claim actual documented medical expenses in lieu of
the standard medical deduction and the amount over $35 will be allowed as a
deduction. To ensure federal costs do not increase, the standard deduction in
subsection (c) will be reduced by $4 per month for all SNAP
households.