January 20205 - Just the Facts

Summary

In January 2025, Public Assistance cases totaled 2,079,869 (3,232,040 persons) representing a 8.60% decrease from January 2024. Total cases decreased by 195,810 and persons by 398,179.

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

  • Total TANF Benefits: There were 27,328 TANF cases (75,260 persons) in January 2025, up 38 cases and up 165 persons from December 2024. The caseload is 1.24% higher than the January 2024 total.
  • TANF-Basic: In January 2025, TANF-Basic (primarily single-parent) families increased, from December 2024, by 23 cases (107 persons) for a total of 24,880 cases (64,137 persons).
  • Two-Parent Cases: Two-parent cases increased in January 2025 by 15 cases (67 persons) from December 2024 for a total of 2,448 cases (11,113 persons) in January 2025.
  • Approvals: There were 1,905 assistance approvals this month, including 1,225 new grants (down 179 since December 2025) and 988 reinstatements (up 464 since December 2024). A reinstatement is defined as approval of any case that was active within the previous 24 months.
  • TANF Cancelled due to earnings: In January 2025 there were 118 cases cancelled due to earnings from new employer or increased earnings from an existing employer.
  • Total Grant amount: $16,290,421 was the total TANF grant amount in January 2025. This is down $109,188 from the total in December 2024. January 2025 shows a 9.95% decrease from January 2024.

Assistance to the Aged, Blind or Disabled (AABD)

The total number of AABD Cash cases in January 2025 is down 641 cases or 3.55% from the number of cases a year earlier.

  • AABD Case Details: AABD Cash cases decreased by 69 cases in January 2025 from December 2024 for a total of 17,411 cases in January 2025. This total includes 8,410 persons who qualified for Old Age Assistance; 164 persons who qualified for Blind Assistance; and 8,837 persons who qualified for Disability Assistance. The total grant amount decreased by 11.06% from December 2024 ($3,033,531) to January 2025 ($2,698,018).

Medical Assistance - No Grant (MANG)

January 2025 had a program total of 1,924,909 cases (2,993,955 persons). Of the total MANG cases, there were 33,547 cases (51,372 MANG persons) in All Kids, Disabled Workers, Breast and Cervical Cancer, Veteran Care, Medically Fragile Technology Dependent, and Department of Corrections programs. Overall, MANG cases in January 2025 show a 9.60% decrease (204,601 cases) since January 2024.

  • MANG: MANG recipients represent 92.54% of total cases and 92.63% of total persons in January 2025. In January 2024, MANG recipients represented 93.57% of total cases.
  • Family Health Plans: In January 2025, families decreased by 3,358 to 756,578 cases from December 2024. Persons decreased 9,498 in January 2025 to 1,780,545 persons.
  • ACA Adult: ACA Adult saw a decrease of 2,249 cases from December 2024 to January 2025 for a total of 761,886 cases in January 2025. Persons decreased by 4,685 for a January 2025 total of 789,494 persons.
  • AABD Clients: AABD customers who were categorically qualified for Medical Only, decreased 0.14% in January 2025 from the December 2024 totals to 406,445 cases in January 2025.
  • Foster Care: Foster Care Assistance totals were not available at the time of this report.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

  • SNAP Assistance was given to 1,048,869 Illinois households (1,908,292 persons) in January 2025. This is a decrease of 4,326 households from January 2024 levels.
  • A total of 110,221 households (145,414 persons) received SNAP with no other assistance in January 2025. This an increase of 9,095 households from January 2025 levels.
  • The total SNAP assistance amount for January 2025 was $378,293,881. This is a decrease of $5,750,324 from January 2024.

SNAP Summary of Cases and Person as of January 2025

PROGRAM CASES PERSONS
TANF 27,328 75,260
AABD Cash 17,411 17,411
Family Health Plan 756,578 1,780,545
AABD MANG 406,445 423,916
ACA 761,886 789,494
SNAP with no other assistance 110,221 145,414
Foster Care N/A N/A
Refugees Cash & Medical 1,940 1,940
Total 2,081,809 3,233,980

Emergency Food, Shelter and Support

Homeless families and individuals receive food, shelter, and support services through local not-for-profit organizations. A "continuum of care" includes emergency and transitional housing and assistance in gaining self-sufficiency and permanent housing.

  • The Emergency and Transitional Housing Program served 5,016 households in shelters during the October-December 2024 Quarter. Of those, 703 were households with children.
  • The Emergency Food Program served 291,243 households (duplicative) in January 2025.
  • The Homeless Prevention Program helps families in existing homes and helps others secure affordable housing. During the October-December 2024 quarter, 3,272 households were served. Of those, 821 were families (Households with children under age 18).
  • The Supportive Housing Program funds governments and agencies which serve families and transitional facility residents. In the October-December 2024 Quarter, 641,133 nights of Supportive Housing were provided.
  • The New Americans Initiative funds the provision of English language, civics, and U.S. history instruction as well as application services. This program has served 2,061 clients in January 2025
  • Of the refugees served, 182 received employment services, and 164 of the client's entering employment were still employed 90 days later during the October-December 2024 quarter.
  • The Outreach and Interpretation project assures access to IDHS benefits. This program has served 5,086 in January 2025.

Social Service Block Grants

Service funding is provided through the Federal Title XX Social Services Block Grant to manage and monitor contracts which help customers achieve economic self-support and prevent or remedy abuse and neglect.

  • Crisis Nurseries served 2,892 families/customers during the October-December 2024 quarter.
  • The Estimated Donated Funds Initiative aided 3,152 customers with 40,757 rides provided for Senior's during the October-December 2024 quarter.

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)1

The purpose of WIC is to provide nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding promotion and support, nutritious supplemental foods, and referrals to services for eligible pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children to age five. The program has been housed under the Department of Human Services since 1997. To be eligible, participants must be at 185% of the federal poverty level, be a resident of the State of Illinois, and have a nutrition risk.

Program Statistics - WIC

Eligibility Category Clients in December 2024
Pregnant Women 15,152
Breastfeeding Women 15,418
Postpartum Women 8,748
Infants 44,335
Children 88,330
Total 171,983

What's New in WIC

It has been 5 years now since the new WIC Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) implementation was implemented in March 2020. WIC staff have been continuing to work with local WIC agencies to address training and system issues in the Clinic modules in I-WIC that have arisen to ensure a quality customer experience. Central office staff have also continued to review and resolve I-WIC system documentation and related issues with the Vendor, Administration, and Nutrition modules. The increase in the dollar value of the fruit and vegetable benefits provided to WIC participants has been extended and the dollar value was enhanced. Started in June 2021 as a temporary increase, it has now been extended through September 2023 and allows participants to receive significantly more fresh fruits and vegetables through their Cash Value Benefit (CVB) on their EBT card. Clients have welcomed the increase, and it has improved their intake of these nutritious foods.

Family Case Management1

The program target population is low-income families (below 200% of the federal poverty level) with a pregnant woman, an infant. The goals of the program are to help women have healthy babies and to reduce the rates of infant mortality and very low birth weight. To achieve these goals the program conducts outreach activities to inform expectant women and new mothers of available services and then assists them with obtaining prenatal and well-childcare. The program works with community agencies to address barriers to accessing medical services, such as childcare, transportation, housing, food, mental health needs and substance abuse services. Services are provided statewide through local Health Departments, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and community-based organizations. Home visits by program staff are provided in the first year of life.

Program Statistics - Family Case Management
Active Participant Counts for December 2024

Family Case
Management
Total
Cook County 15,406
Downstate 27,689
Statewide 43,095

Bureau of Program & Performance Management

1Current month's Women, Infants, and Children, and Family Case Management data is not released until the end of the following month resulting in a one-month lag for this report.