Cash and Food Assistance Eligibility Changes for VTTC

Illinois Department of Human Services Logo
Illinois Healthcare and Family Services Logo

07/02/2025

Policy Memo

This Policy Memo provides updates to the following memos:

Summary:

  • Effective immediately, Public Act 104-0002 implemented changes to the Victims of Trafficking, Torture, or Other Serious Crimes (VTTC) program.
  • Beginning 07/01/2025, applications for the VTTC programs including VTTC Cash and State Food, will be considered for eligibility.
    • Applications received on or after 07/01/2025 will be considered due to restored funding.
    • Applications received prior to 07/01/2025 will continue to be denied due to lack of funding in the fiscal year in which the applications were received.
    • Redeterminations being processed for certification periods ending June 30th, 2025 or after will be considered due to restored funding.
  • Individuals who have an application for T or U Visa pending or an approved U Visa through USCIS who do not have derivative family members (DFM) are eligible for the VTTC Cash, State Food, and VTTC Medical programs.
  • Additional information is forthcoming from the HFS Medical Eligibility Policy Team.
  • VTTC Cash and State Food programs are subject to the availability of funds.

Due to the passage of Public Act 104-0002, beginning 07/01/2025, applications for benefits will be considered for the Victims of Trafficking, Torture, or Other Serious Crimes (VTTC) programs including VTTC Cash and State Food. 

Applications received prior to 07/01/2025 will continue to be denied due to lack of funding in the state fiscal year in which the applications were received.

Individuals who submit an application for benefits on or after 07/01/2025 and do not have DFMs on their application for USCIS status will be considered for the state-funded VTTC Cash and State Food programs. 

For State Food, any individual including DFMs, residing in an institution or other setting that provides the majority of the individual's daily meals is not eligible for State Food benefits.

Customers can apply online through the Application for Benefits Eligibility (ABE) portal, over the phone by calling the ABE Customer Call Center, or in person at one of the Family Community Resource Centers.

Note: VTTC (TANF) EDGs will continue to have a certification period of 12 months. VTTC (RRP) EDGs for individual who have a USCIS eligiblity date of 05/05/2025 or after will have a certification period of 4 months to align with federal changes. See Policy Memo, Change in Federal Refugee Resettlement Program Eligibility Time Period and Clarification for Refugee General Activity Compliance Requirements, dated 06/11/2025 for details.

FCRC Responsibilities

Applications received prior to 06/16/2025 should be processed according to previous policy guidance. See Policy Memo, Victims of Trafficking, Torture or Other Serious Crimes (VTTC) - Processing Now Available in IES, dated 04/22/2024, for further guidance.

Applications received on or after 06/16/2025 through 06/30/2025, should continue to be denied due to lack of funding in the state fiscal year in which they were received.

Individuals who meet the non-citizens/USCIS status for VTTC benefits must meet all other financial and non-financial factors of eligibility.

IES

All applications should be processed in IES. If a single adult without DFMs is denied, the denial should be certified. Any denial of single adults affected by these statutory changes will be handled centrally until updates are implemented in IES.

Dulce M. Quintero

Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services

Elizabeth M. Whitehorn

Director, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services