Privacy Statement

ABE Privacy Statement

The Application for Benefits Eligibility (ABE) is offered by the Illinois Departments of Healthcare & Family Services and Human Services.  We take the privacy and security of your personal information seriously.

We promise to request, use, and disclose only the minimum information necessary for us to do our job in determining your eligibility for benefits, as required by law.  As part of the application process, we may receive information about you from third-party electronic data sources.  We will use the information provided by you and electronic data sources to check that you qualify for benefits.

Your information will not be sold, rented or shared with unaffiliated third parties.  Any third-party with access to the State’s eligibility systems is governed by a confidentiality agreement that outlines strict data use, sharing and security requirements.

Information about the Sensitive Questions We Ask

Social Security Numbers (SSN)

Do I have to give my SSN?

If you are asking for benefits and you have a SSN, you must provide your SSN.  Household members who are not asking for benefits do not have to report their SSN.

What if I do not have a SSN?

If you are asking for benefits but you do not have a SSN, you will need to tell us the date that you applied for one.   If you do not have one and do not plan to apply for one, you may not be able to get Cash or SNAP benefits.

Immigration Status

Will you report my immigration status?

We will not share any information about the immigration status of any person who does not have a Non-Citizen Registration Number.

Will you verify my immigration status?

We will verify the immigration status of any person if you gave us their Non-Citizen Registration Number. To do that, we will check the number with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). We may send other information to USCIS, such as copies of proof you sent of a Non-Citizen Registration Number and the person's Social Security Number, if they have one.

Do I have to be a citizen?

In most cases, to receive benefits, you must be a citizen or lawfully present in the U.S.   If you are a documented non-citizen, you must provide information about immigration status, including U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) document type and Non-Citizen Number (A#), if available.

Household members who are not applying for health coverage do not have to provide information about their immigration status.

Children and pregnant women may be eligible for health coverage benefits even if they do not have a SSN and regardless of their immigration status.

Tax Filing Status

The Affordable Care Act requires us to understand how people requesting benefits report their income and dependents on their income tax forms in order to determine the household’s  total income for eligibility purposes.

Medical Information

The medical information we collect is protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).  We are required to take appropriate steps to make sure that your medical information is safe and secure.  Our "Notices of Privacy Practices" (NPP) describe exactly how your medical information may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.  You can review these notices  here: 

HFS Privacy Notice

DHS Notice of Privacy Practices

We encourage you to print a copy of the NPPs now.  You can also access them anytime from the DHS and HFS websites.  You will also receive a copy of the NPPs in the mail with the decision on your application.

For additional information about HIPAA, our privacy policies, and our HIPAA contact persons, please see:

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

If you are seeking benefits as a person with a disability, we will verify your disability claim with the federal Social Security Administration (SSA).  By requesting benefits as a disabled person, you authorize the release of any material or records protected under state and federal privacy laws needed to verify your claim.

Security

The State of Illinois safeguards the integrity of its communications and computer systems. To protect your communications through this Web site, we verify, monitor, audit, and secure activity. You can tell when you are secure by looking at the location (URL) field.   If the URL begins with https:// (instead of http://), the ‘s’ means that the document comes from a secure server. This means your personal and health information cannot be read or deciphered by unauthorized individuals. Security measures have been integrated into the design, implementation and day-to-day practices of our entire agency. This is part of our continuing commitment to protecting your information. Please note that despite our efforts, no security measures are completely secure.

HFS Privacy Statement