2/26/2009
On line application cuts down wait time and reduces unnecessary trips to local offices
Continuing to make services for customers easier and more efficient, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) today announced that individuals and families with an Illinois address may
file a Department of Human Services Web Application for Cash, Medical, and Food Stamp assistance from wherever they have access to the Internet. Instead of waiting in line to fill out the extensive application, then waiting again to seek services,
customers can access the web application directly from the IDHS homepage at www.dhs.state.il.us The web application is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week.
"Our goal at IDHS has always been to provide services in a more efficient manner so that our customers are spending less time waiting and more time being served. The online application is not only convenient for the customer who may not have the time
to wait in line, but it reduces the need for an extra trip to the IDHS office," said IDHS Secretary Carol Adams, Ph.D.
To apply, applicants will be asked to choose a password and are given an I.D. number. The web application gathers basic information about the individual and their family such as information about members of the family needing assistance as well as
their income, assets, and expenses. If they choose to logout of the application and complete it at a later date, their information will be saved for up to 15 days. They can also print the information they have already entered.
The application is submitted electronically to the IDHS Family Community Resource Center that serves the area where they live. Once submitted, applicants receive an e-confirmation number when
the application has been received so they can track the receipt and status of their application online. They may also print a list of what proof they will need to complete their application and the name and address of the Family Community Resource Center
that serves the area where they live.
Individuals and families can use the application to apply for medical assistance, food stamps and cash benefits such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Aid to Aged, Blind,
and Disabled, and General Assistance in the City of Chicago. It usually takes about 30 days to get food stamp benefits unless they need food right away and have little or no money. Cash and Medical applications take up to 45 days.
DHS serves more than 634,000 Illinois families through the TANF and Food Stamp programs.
The Illinois Department of Human Services is the state's largest agency and offers assistance including: TANF, child care assistance programs, education, job training, transportation, food stamps, medical, immigration and refugee services, literacy,
vocational training, vocational rehabilitation and other services to help Illinoisans work toward self-sufficiency.
