305 ILCS 5/ Illinois Public Aid Code.

(305 ILCS 5/12-4.7d)

Sec. 12-4.7d. Interagency agreement regarding investigation of child care providers. The Department shall enter into a written agreement with the Department of Children and Family Services which shall provide for interagency procedures regarding requests by the Department that the Department of Children and Family Services conduct an investigation of the Central Register, as defined in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, to ascertain if a child care provider who is not required to be licensed under the Child Care Act of 1969 and who is participating in the child care assistance program under this Code has been determined to be a perpetrator in an indicated report of child abuse or neglect.

(Source: P.A. 90-684, eff. 7-31-98.)

(305 ILCS 5/12-4.7e)

Sec. 12-4.7e. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 96-878, eff. 2-2-10. Repealed internally, eff. 1-1-12.)

(305 ILCS 5/12-4.7f)

Sec. 12-4.7f. Death records information. At least once each calendar month, the Department of Human Services shall cross-reference its roster of public aid recipients with the death records information from the Department of Public Health residing on the Electronic Data Warehouse at the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. A public aid recipient who is found to have a death record shall be subject to an immediate cancelation of his or her public aid benefits, including the deactivation of his or her LINK card, in instances where there are no other individuals receiving benefits in that assistance unit and upon certification that the identity of the public aid recipient matches the identity of the person named in the death certificate. As used in this Section, "LINK card" means the electronic benefits transfer card issued by the Department of Human Services for the purpose of enabling a user of the card to obtain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or cash.

(Source: P.A. 99-87, eff. 7-21-15.)

(305 ILCS 5/12-4.8) (from Ch. 23, par. 12-4.8)

Sec. 12-4.8. Supervision of administration of general assistance. Supervise the administration of General Assistance under Article VI by local governmental units receiving State funds for the purposes of such Article.

(Source: P.A. 92-111, eff. 1-1-02.)

(305 ILCS 5/12-4.8a)

Sec. 12-4.8a. General assistance record keeping. The Illinois Department shall establish procedures designed to ensure that a person who receives a general assistance grant from the Illinois Department does not receive a duplicate grant from a township general assistance program that receives State funds.

(Source: P.A. 88-412.)

(305 ILCS 5/12-4.9) (from Ch. 23, par. 12-4.9)

Sec. 12-4.9. Hearings and investigations.

Conduct hearings and investigations in connection with the administration of public aid; compel by subpoena, the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of books and papers; and administer oaths to witnesses. No person shall be compelled to attend an investigation or hearing at a place outside the county in which he resides.

Subpoenas may be served as provided for in civil actions. The fees of witnesses for attendance and travel shall be the same as the fees of witnesses before the Circuit Court and shall be paid as an expense of administration.

Any qualified officer or employee of the Department designated in writing by the Director may conduct the hearings and investigations.

(Source: Laws 1967, p. 122.)

(305 ILCS 5/12-4.10) (from Ch. 23, par. 12-4.10)

Sec. 12-4.10. Forms and supplies.

Prescribe the form of and print and supply to the County Departments and local governmental units official blanks for applications and reports and such other forms as it deems advisable in relation to the administration of public aid.

(Source: Laws 1967, p. 122.)

(305 ILCS 5/12-4.11) (from Ch. 23, par. 12-4.11)

Sec. 12-4.11. Grant amounts. The Department, with due regard for and subject to budgetary limitations, shall establish grant amounts for each of the programs, by regulation. The grant amounts may vary by program, size of assistance unit and geographic area. Grant amounts under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program may not vary on the basis of a TANF recipient's county of residence.

Aid payments shall not be reduced except: (1) for changes in the cost of items included in the grant amounts, or (2) for changes in the expenses of the recipient, or (3) for changes in the income or resources available to the recipient, or (4) for changes in grants resulting from adoption of a consolidated grant amount.

The maximum benefit levels provided to TANF recipients shall increase as follows: beginning October 1, 2023, the Department of Human Services shall increase TANF grant amounts in effect on September 30, 2023 to at least 35% of the most recent United States Department of Health and Human Services Federal Poverty Guidelines for each family size. Beginning October 1, 2024, and each October 1 thereafter, the maximum benefit levels shall be annually adjusted to remain equal to at least 35% of the most recent poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2) for each family size.

TANF grants for child-only assistance units shall be at least 75% of TANF grants for assistance units of the same size that consist of a caretaker relative with children.

In fixing standards to govern payments or reimbursements for funeral and burial expenses, the Department shall establish a minimum allowable amount of not less than $1,000 for Department payment of funeral services and not less than $500 for Department payment of burial or cremation services. On January 1, 2006, July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, the Department shall increase the minimum reimbursement amount for funeral and burial expenses under this Section by a percentage equal to the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, if any, during the 12 months immediately preceding that January 1 or July 1. In establishing the minimum allowable amount, the Department shall take into account the services essential to a dignified, low-cost (i) funeral and (ii) burial or cremation, including reasonable amounts that may be necessary for burial space and cemetery charges, and any applicable taxes or other required governmental fees or charges. If no person has agreed to pay the total cost of the (i) funeral and (ii) burial or cremation charges, the Department shall pay the vendor the actual costs of the (i) funeral and (ii) burial or cremation, or the minimum allowable amount for each service as established by the Department, whichever is less, provided that the Department reduces its payments by the amount available from the following sources: the decedent's assets and available resources and the anticipated amounts of any death benefits available to the decedent's estate, and amounts paid and arranged to be paid by the decedent's legally responsible relatives. A legally responsible relative is expected to pay (i) funeral and (ii) burial or cremation expenses unless financially unable to do so.

Nothing contained in this Section or in any other Section of this Code shall be construed to prohibit the Illinois Department (1) from consolidating existing standards on the basis of any standards which are or were in effect on, or subsequent to July 1, 1969, or (2) from employing any consolidated standards in determining need for public aid and the amount of money payment or grant for individual recipients or recipient families.

(Source: P.A. 103-8, eff. 6-7-23.)

(305 ILCS 5/12-4.11-5)

Sec. 12-4.11-5. Murdered Children Funeral and Burial Assistance Program. The Department of Human Services shall by rule administer the Murdered Children Funeral and Burial Assistance Program. Eligibility for the Murdered Children Funeral and Burial Assistance Program shall be limited to those individuals as described in the Murdered Children Funeral and Burial Assistance Act.

Beginning July 1, 2023, the Department of Human Services shall make eligibility determinations for the Murdered Children Funeral and Burial Assistance Program and, subject to appropriation, shall make disbursements for eligible cases to a funeral establishment or cemetery authority as provided under the Murdered Children Funeral and Burial Assistance Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-754, eff. 5-10-22.)

(305 ILCS 5/12-4.12) (from Ch. 23, par. 12-4.12)

Sec. 12-4.12. Insurance Policies in Determination of Need.

To the extent authorized by the rules and regulations of the Illinois Department, all or a portion of the loan or cash value of insurance policies may be disregarded in the determination of need under Sections 3-1.2, 4-1.6, 5-4, 6-1.2 and 7-1.2. The Department may also provide, by rule, (1) for the continuation of life insurance policies at face, cash, or loan value amounts in excess of funeral and burial expenses, as such expenses are governed by standards established under Section 12-4.11, and (2) whether or not provision for continuation is made under (1), for the taking of assignments of life insurance policies to cover an amount not in excess of the amount of financial aid which has been, or may be, provided. In making the determination under (1), the Department shall consider the physical condition of the insured, the needs of the insured and his dependents for financial aid, whether those needs will be of a temporary or continuing nature, and the existence of any unusual circumstances which may warrant a decision to permit such continuation.

(Source: P.A. 76-1416.)

(305 ILCS 5/12-4.13) (from Ch. 23, par. 12-4.13)

Sec. 12-4.13. Extension of federal commodity and food stamp programs to non-recipients; Standards of eligibility. The Department of Human Services shall provide, by rule, for the extension of Federal surplus foods, food stamps, or other commodities made available by the Federal Government to persons who are not recipients of public aid, and establish standards for determining the eligibility of such persons.

(Source: P.A. 89-507, eff. 7-1-97.)

(305 ILCS 5/12-4.13a)

Sec. 12-4.13a. Gross income eligibility standard; SNAP. Subject to federal approval if required, a household that includes an elderly, blind, or disabled person shall be considered categorically eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits if the gross income of such household is at or below 200% of the nonfarm income poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2); and a household that does not include an elderly, blind, or disabled person shall be considered categorically eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits if the gross income of such household is at or below 165% of those nonfarm income poverty guidelines.

(Source: P.A. 99-170, eff. 1-1-16.)