Illinois Link Card: Login, Balance, Apply and Get Help

Need to check your Link card balance? Use ebtEDGE or call 1-800-678-5465. Need to apply for food help? Use ABE, the state’s benefits site.

A Link card lets you spend food or cash aid from Illinois. You must first get approved for that aid. Your card login and your case login have different jobs, so it helps to choose the right one.

Use this guide to check your funds, apply, or get help with a lost card.

Illinois Link card quick help

The Illinois Department of Human Services, or IDHS, runs the program. Its Link account page lists the card services. Ask your local office for help with your case.

What is a Link card?

A Link card is Illinois’ EBT card. EBT stands for Electronic Benefits Transfer. You use the card and a PIN to spend aid from your account.

SNAP helps pay for food. Some people also get cash aid through Link. If you qualify for both, you use one card for both accounts, as the state’s Link guide explains.

Food and cash funds stay separate. You could have food funds and no cash funds. The card holds no loan or line of credit.

Our SNAP guide explains food aid in more depth. For your own case, use the state rules below.

Illinois Link card login: how to use ebtEDGE

Use ebtEDGE to check your card. You can see your funds and change card settings. You do not need to fill out a new SNAP form to sign in.

If you already have an account

1. Open the ebtEDGE card site.
2. Enter your user ID and password.
3. Follow the extra sign-in check on the screen.
4. Choose your card to see its funds and recent use.

You may get a code by text or email. Type that code into the sign-in screen. The ebtEDGE login guide also shows how to use a security question instead.

If you have never signed in

Choose the option to register. Make your login and follow the security steps. Then add your card account. Keep your card close by, since the site will ask you to prove who you are.

The ebtEDGE setup guide walks you through those steps. The login lets you use a card account online. You still need state approval to get SNAP.

If you cannot log in

Use the sign-in help or password reset on the card site. Check the phone or email you chose for login codes. If the screen will not load, call to check your funds while you get help.

Your login and PIN are different. The PIN has four digits. You use it when you shop. Sign in to the site with your user ID and password.

How to check your Link card balance

You can check your funds in four ways:

• Website: Sign in to ebtEDGE. Choose your card account.
• App: Open the ebtEDGE app. Check your linked card.
• Phone: Call 1-800-678-5465. Follow the prompts for your balance.
• Receipt: Check your last EBT store receipt. It shows the funds left after that sale.

Have you shopped since that receipt was printed? Have new funds come in? Check again before you pay. The state’s Link FAQs explain how to check.

Check food funds and cash funds on their own. At the store, choose the right account for what you plan to buy.

Can you check without your card number?

Yes. On the help line, wait for the prompts. You can use your Social Security number, birth date, and PIN when you lack the card number. The state’s card help page explains the steps.

Use those facts only through the state-approved service. Keep them out of public posts and messages to strangers. Use the state routes to check your funds.

Link card phone number and customer service

The Illinois Link card phone number is 1-800-678-5465. LINK is 5465 on a phone keypad. Both versions reach the same help line.

Call to check your funds or change a PIN. Call if your card is lost or a store charge looks wrong. The state’s Link brochure lists help 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If your case was denied or needs a form, call 1-800-843-6154 or your case office. Ask what you need to do next. That team can explain the state’s decision.

Your card number is on the front of the card. It is different from the help line number. IDHS lists both 16-digit and 19-digit cards. Use the full number on yours.

How to apply for a Link card in Illinois

Apply for benefits first. The state reviews your form. If it approves aid paid through Link, it issues your card. You do not buy the card.

Apply online through ABE

1. Go to Illinois ABE.
2. Choose Apply for Benefits.
3. Select SNAP if you need help buying food.
4. Fill in the facts about your home, income, and costs.
5. Sign and send the form. Save proof that you sent it.

ABE also has Check if I Should Apply. Answer a few questions to see if you may qualify. You must still apply and get a state decision.

Do you need ILogin?

ABE accounts use ILogin to sign in. Follow the steps to make an account. If you used ABE before, you may need to connect your old ABE profile.

You can apply without an email account, too. The state allows an ABE form in one session with no account. You can also use a phone or paper form. See the state’s ILogin guide for those choices.

Use ABE to manage your case. Use ebtEDGE to manage your card. Each has its own login.

Apply by phone, on paper, or at an office

Call 1-800-843-6154 for help with your form. Or use your local Family Community Resource Center, called an FCRC. You can take, mail, or fax a signed form there.

Get a paper form from the IDHS apply page. To find an office, use the IDHS Office Locator. Choose the office type for Family Community Resource Centers.

In Cook County, search by ZIP code. That includes Chicago. The city uses the same state Link program.

Who can get a Link card?

You get the card after the state approves your aid. For SNAP, it checks who lives with you and your income. Other program rules also apply.

Your SNAP household usually means people who live together and buy and make food together. Some people must share a case even if they eat apart. Spouses are one example. Most children under 22 who live with a parent must also share a case. See USDA’s SNAP rules.

You can work and still get SNAP. Your income and the allowed costs on your case help the state decide.

Income limits and a Link card calculator

Gross income is income before deductions. SNAP net income is the amount left after the program subtracts allowed costs. It can differ from the pay you take home.

Illinois’ income rules can differ from a basic U.S. chart. Some cases with a person age 60 or older, or a disabled person, have different tests. Use the state’s live SNAP income chart. Check the dates and the type of case it covers.

Income limits and the most food aid you can get change each fall. Check the year before you use a chart. A table that ends in September 2026 covers that period only.

Start with ABE’s Check if I Should Apply tool. It gives you a first check. A Link card calculator cannot promise how much you will get.

SNAP work rules in 2026

The new Illinois SNAP work rule began on February 1, 2026. It covers some adults ages 18 through 64. Some people are exempt from the rule.

If the rule covers you, the usual goal is 80 hours per month. Paid or unpaid work can count. So can an approved work program or community service. If you do not meet the rule and are not exempt, a time limit applies. You can generally get SNAP for only three countable months in a three-year period.

Tell IDHS if you think you are exempt. You may be pregnant or have a health problem that limits work. Your SNAP household may include a child under 14. Those are some of the exceptions in the state’s work-rule FAQs. Ask the office to check your case.

Rules for people who are not U.S. citizens

Illinois changed SNAP rules for noncitizens on April 1, 2026. Your legal status and some waiting periods matter. If people in your home hold different statuses, some may still qualify.

Read the state’s rules for noncitizens. The change applies to new forms from April 1 and to current cases at their next renewal on or after that date. Ask about each person seeking aid. A rule that bars one person may not bar the rest of the home.

What do you need when you apply?

Get your papers ready. The state may ask for proof of who you are and where you live. It may need Social Security numbers for the people applying. Your caseworker will explain what else is needed. The IDHS form guide sets out the next steps.

Have pay slips and benefit letters handy. Keep proof of rent, light and heat bills, and child care costs, too. Some cases can also count allowed health care costs. USDA’s income rules explain which costs can count.

If one paper is missing, ask the office for help. Keep copies of what you send and note the date. Check each new notice so you do not miss a deadline.

How long does a SNAP decision take?

Illinois says it must decide a SNAP case within 30 days. If you have very little income or cash, ask about expedited SNAP. That is the name for urgent food aid. The state’s apply guide says it can be ready in five days or less if you qualify.

The office must check if you qualify for urgent help. Explain your need for food. Give the income and cash facts it asks for.

You may need an interview and more proof. The office will tell you what is due. Sending a form, getting approved, and getting a card are separate steps.

How to check your SNAP application status

Use Manage My Case on ABE. You can view notices and benefit amounts. You can also check your form or renewal status. The ABE help page explains how to link your profile to your case.

Read your latest notice. Your case may need proof or an interview. If you cannot tell what is missing, call your FCRC.

Use ebtEDGE to see funds you can spend. Use ABE to read the state’s decision on your case.

Lost Link card: how to get a new one

Report a lost or stolen card right away. Use the card website or call 1-800-678-5465. The card replacement TTY line is 1-877-765-3459.

Stop the lost card from working and order a new one. You can do that without the card number. Follow the steps to prove who you are on the state’s lost-card page.

Check your address first. The card goes to the address on file. If you have moved, tell your FCRC before you order.

IDHS says a new card should arrive in five to seven business days. If you have waited longer, call to check the order and address.

A new card gives you access to your account. It does not put back funds that were stolen.

How to set or change your PIN

Your PIN has four digits. Set one when your first card arrives. Use the card site or help line and follow its security checks.

If you forget your PIN, use the same services to change it. A new card keeps the old PIN unless you change it.

Keep the code to yourself. Cover the keypad when you pay. Do not write your PIN on your card or tell it to a store clerk.

What can you buy with your Link card?

Use your SNAP funds for food at SNAP-approved stores. You can buy fruit, milk, bread, eggs, meat, and fish. Seeds and plants that grow food can qualify, too.

SNAP generally cannot pay for food that is hot when sold. It does not cover alcohol, tobacco, soap, diapers, or pet food. Drugs and supplements are not covered, either. Read USDA’s food rules for the full list.

If you shop at Trader Joe’s, our Trader Joe’s EBT guide explains how to pay with SNAP there.

Cash aid has its own rules. You need cash funds to make a cash withdrawal. You cannot take SNAP funds out at an ATM. Our EBT cash guide explains the two types of aid. Check your state cash program’s rules, too.

Card not working or balance at zero?

First, note what went wrong. Did the store show low funds? Did it reject the PIN or fail to read the card? The message helps you choose what to check.

Use those checks to explain the problem when you call. IDHS can review your account to find the cause. Zero funds alone do not mean your case was denied.

Protect your card from scams

Use ebtEDGE, the only app Illinois approves for Link account access. You can freeze your card in the app or website. Unfreeze it when you need to pay. You can also block online or out-of-state use. Check those settings if they stop a sale you want to make.

IDHS says it will not call or text to ask for your PIN, card number, or personal details. The state’s Link safety notice lists the tools to keep your card safe.

If a text says your card is blocked, open the card site yourself. Or call the number on your card. Keep your card details out of the text’s link.

If funds are missing, report the theft. Change your PIN and ask for a new card. The state’s theft form limits benefit replacement to thefts through December 20, 2024. SNAP funds stolen on or after December 21, 2024, cannot be replaced under the current rule. A new card helps protect the funds still left. It does not guarantee a refund.

Common questions

Is the Link card app called ebtEDGE?

Yes. Use ebtEDGE to manage your Link account on your phone. Check the name against the app listed on the state site.

Can I get cash back from my SNAP balance?

No. You cannot turn your SNAP food funds into cash. You must have cash aid on the card to make a cash withdrawal.

Does a new card mean more funds?

No. The card gives you access to your account. The state decides your amount and renewal dates through your case.

Where do I check the status of a new card?

Call the Link help line. Have your order date and mailing address ready. Use ABE to check your benefits case.

Do I need to pay someone to apply?

Applying for SNAP is free. Use the state routes above. Never pay a stranger on Facebook to get your case approved.

Free Benefits Wireless shares free guides. We do not take Link forms. We do not ask you to send a card number, PIN, or Social Security number. Use the state services to apply and manage your case.