Policy Chapters and Sections

General Eligibility Requirements

Chapter: 5 Section: 1
Effective Date: 7/1/2015
Expiration Date: Continuing
Published Date: 6/30/2026 2:48:40 PM
Status: Current
Version: 7

Tags: Eligibility, Eligibility

  1. All customers seeking assistance through the workforce system, whether it be through the one-stop system or technology, must have basic career services made available to them. The level of service requested will determine the information required from the customer and the need for eligibility determination.
    1. Customers seeking only self-services and informational activities through the Illinois workNet site, the resource rooms in the American Job Centers (AJCs), and reference documentation, workshops, job fairs, and employer trainings are universally available to all customers without the determination of eligibility.
  2. Customers receiving only self-service or informational activities who engaged with the workforce development system on an initial level but who do not complete the requirements to become customers are considered a reportable individual.
    1. Reportable individuals are defined as customers who have taken action that demonstrates an intent to use program services and who meet specific reporting criteria of the program, including:
      1. Customers who provide identifying information (e.g., name and zip code);
      2. Customers who only use the self-service system; or
      3. Customers who only receive information-only services or activities, which provide readily available information that does not require an assessment by a staff member of the customer’s skills, education, or career objectives.
    2. Customers accessing self-service or information-only activities on the Illinois workNet site, will be counted as reportable individuals if they complete the Self-Service Form and provide the necessary information.
    3. One-Stop Operators in local areas shall track the number of reportable individuals and activities through local methods or check-in procedures.  In such instances, local policy should indicate the information necessary to conduct the tracking of services.
    4. These customers must be reported to the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) in the State annual performance reports and associated Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) performance reporting instruments, but they do not count towards state or local performance because only “customers” are included in the performance indicators.
  3. Customers receiving more than self-service or informational activities (i.e., staff-assisted services) are considered customers and must be registered following an eligibility determination for the applicable program as outlined in the Adult Eligibility, Dislocated Worker Eligibility, and Youth Eligibility sections of the policy manual.
    1. For the Title IB Adult and Dislocated Worker programs, a customer is a reportable individual who has received services other than self-service or information-only services or activities, after satisfying all applicable programmatic requirements for the provision of services, such as eligibility determination.
    2. For the Title IB Youth program, a customer is a reportable individual who has satisfied all applicable program requirements for the provision of services, including eligibility determination, an objective assessment, and development of a Universal Career Plan, and received one (1) or more of the fourteen (14) WIOA Youth program elements.
    3. Customers must be reported to the USDOL in the State annual performance reports and associated WIOA performance reporting instruments, and they count towards state or local performance indicators.
      1. Outcomes of program customers are based on the experience of customers upon exit from or, as applicable, during participation in a program.
  4. Collection and Use of Social Security Numbers for Customers
    1. A customer’s Social Security Number (SSN) must be requested; however, customers cannot be denied services for choosing not to provide their SSN.
    2. Career Planners must explain how the social security number will be used and how a customer’s privacy will be ensured following the Privacy Act and the Personally Identifiable Information (PII) section of the policy manual.
    3. States must use social security numbers only for the calculation of program performance measure outcomes.
    4. In instances where a customer does not provide a social security number, states should exclude the outcomes of this customer from performance measures, unless supplemental information is available and allowed to be used to verify performance outcomes.
  5. Registration is the process of collecting information through an online or paper application for entry and subsequent eligibility determination into the appropriate case management system. 
    1. Eligibility certification shall be based on the information provided in the customer’s signed and dated application.
      1. Applications must be signed and dated on or prior to the application certification date.
    2. All Title IB registrations must be recorded in the appropriate case management system by a local Title IB representative (i.e., Career Planner). 
  6. WIOA requires all registered individuals under Title IB WIOA programs to meet two (2) general eligibility requirements: 
    1. Authorized to Work in the United States.  Customers participating in Title IB programs and activities or receiving funds under Title IB shall be citizens and nationals of the United States, lawfully admitted permanent resident aliens, refugees, asylees, and parolees, and other immigrants authorized by the Attorney General to work in the United States.
    2. Compliance with Military Selective Service Requirement.  All males born after December 31, 1959, who have reached age eighteen (18), must be registered with the Selective Service Administration as required by the Selective Service Act and outlined in the Selective Service Registration Requirements section of the policy manual.
  7. All eligibility determinations must have supporting documentation as outlined in WIOA Title IB Eligibility Source Documentation Requirements. It provides a list of sources of documentation allowed as evidence of general or program-specific eligibility.  (See the Attachments tab.)
    1. Evidence of general eligibility must be maintained in the customer’s customer file.
    2. Self-attestation may be used to support most eligibility determinations; however, it should always be used as the last option for support. All other options available under a particular eligibility determination decision must be reviewed before relying only on self-attestation.
      1. The only exception is for an eligibility determination of a customer with disabilities. If the disability is the only means for determining eligibility, then the customer should provide a source of support other than self-attestation, if available.
      2. If the disability is not the only means to determine eligibility, then self-attestation alone is sufficient to document the existence of a disability.
    3. Self-attestation is the only requirement for the purpose of collecting demographic information or when a customer seeks accommodation to participate in services.
    4. A Self-Attestation Form is available for use.