Last updated: June 2007

What kinds of government benefits are available in Illinois?

There are many different kinds of government benefits in the United States. Some of these are:

• Programs that help people to buy food (food stamps and the Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants & Children (WIC))
• Programs that give cash assistance to disabled persons (Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Illinois Aid to the Aged, Blind or Disabled (AABD))
• Programs that offer general cash assistance (Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF) and Illinois General Assistance (GA))
• A program that provides retirement benefits to the elderly (Social Security Retirement Benefits)
• Programs that provide medical assistance (Medicaid and All Kids)

Some benefit programs are provided by the federal government, and some by states. In Illinois, a non-citizen in need of assistance may be eligible for all of these benefit programs, depending on what his or her immigration status is.

If I am a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), what benefits am I eligible for in Illinois?

If you have a green card, you may be eligible for all of the benefits listed above. But, if you were granted lawful permanent resident (LPR) status after August 22, 1996, you generally will not be able to get most of these benefits during the first 5 years that you are an LPR (or other kind of "qualified immigrant"). The benefits that you will most likely not be able to get unless you have been in the United States for 5 years include TANF, SSI, AABD, GA, food stamps, and Medicaid.

If I am not a lawful permanent resident, what benefits am I eligible for in Illinois?

Some programs in Illinois are available without checking on your immigration status. For example, Illinois does not check your immigration status when you apply for the Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants & Children (WIC). Also, in Illinois all children can get medical care under the All Kids program. Illinois provides kindergarten through 12th grade education, school lunches and breakfast, and "Head Start" to all children in the state, no matter what their immigration status is.

In other cases, you may be eligible for a particular program even if you don't have a green card, as long as you have some immigration status. These rules are very complicated, so this page focuses on immigrants' eligibility for one program—TANF.

What is TANF?

TANF is one of the largest public benefit programs. It offers temporary financial help for families. TANF can help you pay for food, housing, electricity and other utility expenses, and other non-medical expenses. TANF can also help you get the skills needed to get steady jobs. TANF offers classes and programs to help improve your education and work-related skills. The goal of TANF is to help you become financially independent.

Who can get benefits through TANF?

Some, but not all, non-citizens are eligible for TANF. These are some of the main non-citizen groups that are eligible:

• People who entered the United States before August 22, 1996 and currently are LPRs
• LPRs who entered the U.S. on or after August 22, 1996, who have lived in the United States for 5 years since obtaining LPR or other "qualified immigrant" status
• Refugees and asylees
• Cuban or Haitian entrants
• Amerasians from Vietnam and their close family members who are issued an immigrant visa and have departed from Vietnam on or after March 22, 1988
• Hmong or Highland Laotians
• Persons granted withholding of removal
• Persons who have been paroled for at least one year and who entered the United States before August 22, 1996
• Persons who have been paroled for at least one year, who entered the United States on or after August 22, 1996, and have resided here for another five years afterwards
• Veterans and active duty members of the U.S. military
• Victims of abuse
• Trafficking victims

What can I get from TANF?

These are services that are offered from TANF:

• Cash assistance for basic needs like food, clothes, and housing;
• Transitional services to help you become financially independent. TANF has partnerships and programs to help you improve your education and work skills so that you are able to get jobs and serve your community. Services provided by TANF include classes to help you improve your education, classes and programs that help you improve your skills to get jobs, and classes to help you learn basic English language skills. Other TANF services are child care, job placement, and job training;
• TANF also helps people with issues like drug and alcohol abuse, mental health, and domestic violence. Through TANF, you can find services to help you with these issues.

If I get TANF, can I still get medical help and food stamps?

Yes. Even if you get TANF, you can still get food stamps and medical assistance.

If you get TANF and also qualify for food stamps, the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) will also give you food stamp benefits. Through the TANF program, you can work off the cost of your food stamps and make extra money through a program called Earnfare.

Click on the titles below for more information and to see if you qualify.

Immigrant Eligibility for Food Stamps
Earnfare and Noncustodial Parent Earnfare

You can get medical help through DHS. If you get TANF, you can also get a MediPlan Card through DHS that will cover most of your medical needs.

How does TANF work?

You will get cash and food stamps through the Illinois Link Program. Illinois Link allows you to use a plastic card, like a bank card, at grocery stores and ATM machines. You can use your Link card to take money out of your TANF cash account. You can also use the Link card to buy food by using the money from your food stamps benefit account to pay for food at the grocery store.

If you do not want your benefits to be kept in a Link account, you can have your TANF benefits deposited directly into your own bank account.

If you use child care through TANF, your child care provider will be paid directly by DHS. You do not have to use your TANF benefits to pay for child care.

If you show your MediPlan Card to your doctor, your doctor will bill the State of Illinois for your visit. You do not have to make any payment to your doctor.

How do I apply?

You can apply for TANF at the local DHS "Human Capital Development Office."  Click on the title below to find the closest office:

Office Locator

What else should I know about TANF?

No family with an adult over age 18 can get TANF benefits for over two years without working or participating in one of the following activities. Approved work activities include:

• Paid or unpaid work
• Providing community services
• Volunteering
• Going to school
• Getting drug or alcohol abuse treatment
• Participating in mental health activities
• Participation in domestic violence counseling
• Participating in other activities that help move the family toward goals and financial independence

Families in which the adults are over 60 years old, families that have only one parent who is caring for an infant child, or families in which only children get TANF benefits do not have to meet these work requirements.

Most adults may only receive benefits for a total of 60 months during their lifetime. There are some exceptions to this, but it is important to keep in mind that TANF benefits are limited.

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