Health & Benefits

A Responsibility and Service Plan (RSP) is a written agreement between a person getting Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the state. Adults in the program must create, sign, and follow this plan with their Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) caseworker to get or keep their monthly cash benefits. 

The main goal of the RSP is to help a family become financially independent. An IDHS caseworker interviews the adult to learn about their education, past jobs, and skills. Together, the caseworker and the adult write down a list of goals to help the adult find a job. The plan lists specific help the state will give the family so the adult can reach their goals.

The plan must include specific actions the adult must do based on their needs. These activities often include:

• Looking for a job
• Job training programs
• Going to school or high school equivalency (GED) classes
• Doing community service

An RSP is a serious, official agreement. The adult must meet with their caseworker regularly to review and update the plan. If an adult refuses to follow the plan without a good reason, the state can lower or stop the family’s cash benefits.

TANF can give extra help so adults can meet their work or school requirements. These are called “supportive services.” They help families take part in the activities listed in their Responsibility and Services Plan.

Supportive services can include:

• Transportation help, such as bus passes, gas cards, or mileage money to get to work or training,
• Child care assistance, including help paying for child care while the adult works or goes to school,
• Money to obtain work supplies including uniforms, tools, shoes, or other items needed for a job,
• Help with fees for school or training costs like GED tests, classes, or job training programs, and
• Other needed items the caseworker approves to help the adult meet their plan.

Supportive services are only given when they are needed to complete the activities in the plan. The adult must stay in good standing with their work or school requirements to keep getting this help.

If there is a disagreement about the plan activities, specific steps can be taken to fix the problem.

The state must try to fix plan disagreements before cutting a family’s cash help. This process is called reconciliation.

• The state must set up a special meeting right away to talk about the problem. This can happen in person or over the phone.
• The individual and the caseworker must try to find job or school activities that both sides agree on.
• The individual can explain why an activity is too hard or impossible to do. This can include a lack of child care, medical issues, or transportation problems.

If the parties still cannot agree on the plan, a third party will step in to help. A neutral person, called a mediator, must look at the case. The mediator helps both sides reach a solution and may be a supervisor, an appeals coordinator, or other staff who has not had a direct role in the case. The mediator makes the final decision based on policy and available information. 

If the individual does not agree with the mediator’s choice, they can ask for a fair hearing.

• An appeal can be filed online, fax, in writing at the local office, or by calling the state help line.
• The appeal must be filed within 10 days of getting a change notice. This keeps full cash payments coming during the process.
• The appeal must be filed within 60 days of a written decision to be considered timely. 
• A formal hearing officer will listen to both sides and look at the documents. Then, the officer will make a final decision on the case.