Summary
In February 2025, Public Assistance cases totaled 2,072,454 (3,15,630 persons) representing a 8.06% decrease from February 2024. Total cases decreased by 181,789 and persons by 376,895.
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
- Total TANF Benefits: There were 27,332 TANF cases (75,475 persons) in February 2025, up 4 cases and up 215 persons from January 2025. The caseload is 0.28% higher than the February 2024 total.
- TANF-Basic: In February 2025, TANF-Basic (primarily single-parent) families decreased, from January 2025, by 19 cases (increased by 52 persons) for a total of 24,24,861 cases (64,199 persons).
- Two-Parent Cases: Two-parent cases increased in February 2025 by 23 cases (163 persons) from January 2025 for a total of 2,471 cases (11,276 persons).
- Approvals: There were 1,769 assistance approvals this month, including 1,114 new grants (down 136 since January 2025) and 491 reinstatements (up 497 since January 2025). A reinstatement is defined as approval of any case that was active within the previous 24 months.
- TANF Cancelled due to earnings: In February 2025 there were 129 cases cancelled due to earnings from new employer or increased earnings from an existing employer.
- Total Grant amount: $21,214,514 was the total in February 2025. This is up $4,924,093 from the total in January 2025. February 2025 shows a 15.92% increase from February 2024.
Assistance to the Aged, Blind or Disabled (AABD)
The total number of AABD Cash cases in February 2025 is down 396 cases or 2.19% from the number of cases a year earlier.
- AABD Case Details: AABD Cash cases increased by 238 cases in February 2025 from January 2025 for a total of 17,649 cases. This total includes 8,520 persons who qualified for Old Age Assistance; 166 persons who qualified for Blind Assistance; and 8,963 persons who qualified for Disability Assistance. The total grant amount increased by 5.65% from January 2025 ($2,698,018) to February 2025 ($2,850,564).
Medical Assistance - No Grant (MANG)
February 2025 had a program total of 1,917,926 cases (2,977,666 persons). Of the total MANG cases, there were 33,122 cases (50,502 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 February 2025 show a 8.90% decrease (187,418 cases) since February 2024.
- MANG: MANG recipients represent 92.54% of total cases and 92.59% of total persons in February 2025. In February 2024, MANG recipients represented 93.39% of total cases.
- Family Health Plans: In February 2025, families decreased by 2,971 to 753,607 cases from totals in January 2025. Persons also decreased 11,015 in February 2025 to 1,769,530 persons.
- ACA Adult: ACA Adult saw a decrease of 2,719 cases from January 2025 for a total of 759,167 cases in February 20245. Persons decreased by 4,053 for a February 2025 total of 785,441 persons.
- AABD Clients: AABD customers who were categorically qualified for Medical Only, decreased 0.31% in February 2025 from January 2025 totals to 405,152 cases in February 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 1,042,615 Illinois households (1,895,817 persons) in February 2025. This is a decrease of 12,210 households from February 2024 levels.
- A total of 109,547 households (144,840 persons) received SNAP with no other assistance in February 2025. This an increase of 5,946 households from February 2024 levels.
- The total SNAP assistance amount for February 2025 was $373,327,117. This is a decrease of $7,846,583 from February 2024.
SNAP Summary of Cases and Persons February 2025
| PROGRAM |
CASES |
PERSONS |
| TANF |
27,332 |
75,475 |
| AABD Cash |
17,649 |
17,649 |
| Family Health Plans |
753,607 |
1,769,530 |
| AABD MANG |
405,152 |
422,695 |
| ACA |
759,167 |
785,441 |
| SNAP with no other assistance |
109,547 |
144,840 |
| Foster Care |
N/A |
N/A |
| Refugees Cash & Medical |
1,843 |
1,843 |
| Total |
2,073,917 |
3,217,473 |
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. February 2025 numbers not available at time of this publishing.
- 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, 1,821 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. February 2025 numbers not available at time of this publishing.
- Of the refugees served, 182 received employment services, and 164 of the client's entering employment were still employed 90 days later from October-December 2024.
- The Outreach and Interpretation project assures access to IDHS benefits. This program has served 5,086 in January 2025. February 2025 numbers not available at time of this publishing.
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 |
*January 2025 numbers not available at time of publishing
What's New in WIC
It has been 4 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 January 2025
Family Case
Management |
Total |
| Cook County |
14,803 |
| Downstate |
26,597 |
| Statewide |
41,400 |
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.
