Health & Benefits

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) payment level is the amount of money Illinois pays each month. The amount of money depends on the size of the "unit" (the number of people getting the grant), the type of assistance, and the amount of other income the unit receives.

You can find your payment level by looking at the TANF Program Payment Level Table. The maximum amount goes up on Oct. 1st every year. It is 35% of the federal poverty levels.

Learn more about TANF.

Earned income

If you work and get TANF, you must report your wages and provide copies of your pay stubs twice a year. You also have to document the number of hours worked and may have to provide other information. The Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) will use this information to calculate how much of your income will count toward your TANF cash payment. 

Lump sums

If you receive a lump sum payment, it will be counted as income for the month in which you receive it. The following payments are considered lump sum:

• Back pay for Social Security or unemployment insurance benefits,
• Lottery winnings, 
• Money you inherit, and
• Personal injury or workers' compensation settlements.

Other income that affects TANF payments

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and other disability payments

If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI):

• You may not get TANF at the same time,
• You may not be part of any TANF assistance unit, and
• Your income is not counted toward any TANF assistance unit.

However, other members of the household in the TANF assistance unit may still receive TANF.

For example: A mother lives with a child. The child gets SSI. The mother and child meet the non-financial requirements for a TANF unit. The unit will get the standard TANF payment for a family of one adult and no children instead of one adult and one child. The child’s SSI payment will not count to lower the mother’s TANF grant.

Disability payments from other disability programs are exempt up to the amount of the current SSI amount.

Examples of other government disability programs:

• Old age, survivor, and disability insurance (OASDI),
• Railroad retirement,
• Black lung, and
• Veterans.

Foster care payments

If you are a licensed foster care provider, and you get foster care payments from DCFS, the foster child and foster care payments are not included in your TANF grant.

If you are not licensed and you are taking care of a foster child, the foster child can receive a TANF payment that is higher than normal, but less than the full foster care payment.

You must apply for this payment at the DHS office. If you already get TANF, the foster child is added to your case.

Reporting to DHS

After you are approved for TANF, DHS requires: 

• A mid-point report from you after 5 to 6 months, 
• A  face-to-face meeting once a year, and 
• Another mid-point report 5 to 6 months after the face-to-face meeting. 

After the meeting or mid-point report, DHS will recalculate how much TANF cash you should receive. DHS will also check to make sure you are working the required number of hours, unless you are exempt from working.

When DHS schedules a face-to-face meeting, you must attend. If you do not come to the meeting, your case will be canceled. You can appeal the decision to cancel your case. You should appeal if:

• You did not get notice of the meeting, or
• You had a very good reason to miss the meeting.

DHS will usually hold another face-to-face meeting instead of going through the appeals process. After that meeting, they will usually reopen your case if you provide your paycheck stubs and any other requested information.

If DHS does not give you another meeting, you should reapply for TANF as soon as possible. You can reapply for TANF even if you appeal.

If your application is approved, you will get your cash benefits on an Illinois LINK card. Learn more about Getting SNAP benefits.