Understand the Barriers.
Create the Solutions.

Public benefit programs are successful in reducing poverty and improving economic well-being, but many Illinois households who are eligible for benefits don’t receive them.

Read an overview of public benefits enrollment challenges on this page. Or dive deeper into the causes and consequences of under-enrollment by exploring the resource section below.

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Overview

Poverty exists in every county and community in Illinois, impacting 11 percent of Illinoisans, including one in seven children. [1]

In addition to being widespread, poverty’s impacts are pervasive. Poverty is more than a lack of money. It deprives individuals of opportunity and basic needs, negatively impacting their physical and mental health, causing food and housing insecurity, and reducing opportunities for education and employment. [2]

Whether a child trying to learn, an adult earning a living, or an older adult managing chronic illness, poverty makes it harder for individuals to reach their full potential.

Public benefit programs provide critical support to low-income households, lifting them out of poverty by helping meet basic needs like food, housing, health care, and utilities. [3] In fact, when accounting for the impact of government assistance, the number of people in poverty is reduced by about two-thirds. [4]

Increasing participation in public benefit programs would further reduce poverty. The Urban Institute estimates that maximizing participation in core safety net programs would reduce the overall poverty rate by 31 percent and child poverty by 44 percent, a transformative change for Illinois families and communities. [5]

Poverty Rates Would Decrease with Increased Public Benefit Program Participation [6]

Bar chart showing percentages of program participation with four categories. The first bar indicates 14.7% for current funding and participation. The second bar shows 13.5% for 100% participation in SSI and SNAP. The third bar displays 12.1% for 100% participation in SSI, SNAP, WIC, TANF, CCDF, and LIHEAP. The fourth bar depicts 10.1% for 100% participation in all programs, including housing subsides.

  • Urban Institute, Analysis of Transfers, Taxes, and Income Security (ATTIS) model applied to 2018 American Community Survey data projected to 2022.

Unfortunately, only a fraction of people who qualify for public benefit programs are enrolled.

Some federal programs do not provide enough funding to serve all who are eligible. To help close the gap, Illinois contributes state resources to complement federal funds to be able to serve more Illinois households, for example with the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). [7]

Other programs provide sufficient federal funding to serve all who are eligible, but Illinois does not enroll all who qualify. Illinois could increase enrollment in Medicaid, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and draw down additional federal resources to support low-income families.

Percent of Eligible Illinois Individuals or Families Participating in Safety Net Programs, 2018 [8]

Bar chart showing percentages of different assistance programs. TANF 13%, SSI 55%, SNAP 57%, WIC 42%, Housing 33%, CCDF 31%, LIHEAP 22%. Programs listed from left to right.

  • Eligibility estimates are from the Urban Institute, using the ATTIS model (Analysis of Transfers, Taxes, and Income Security) applied to the 2018 American Community Survey. Numbers of participants obtained from publicly available program administrative data.

The consequences of public benefit under-enrollment are significant and impact all of us.

Under-enrollment in public benefit programs keeps hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans in poverty. Households lacking essential resources turn to community organizations for support, increasing strain on local communities.

By enrolling more eligible individuals in public benefit programs, Illinois could draw down billions in additional federal dollars each year to better support families and communities. [9] 

Value of Untapped Safety Net Benefits in Illinois, 2018 (millions of dollars) [9]

Bar chart showing various social program expenditures in dollars, including TANE, SSI, SNAP, WIC, Housing, CCDF, and LIHEAP, with highest spending on Housing and lowest on WIC.

  • Urban Institute, using the ATTIS model (Analysis of Transfers, Taxes, and Income Security) applied to the 2018 American Community Survey.

There are a number of reasons why people don’t enroll in the public benefit programs they are eligible for, including:

  • Silos created by programs operating under different federal, state, and local agencies make it difficult and time consuming to understand all the programs available and complete the application process

  • Inconsistent eligibility requirements across programs and complex program rules create confusion about who qualifies

  • Incompatible technology platforms create repetition and time burden for program applicants and program administrators

  • Lack of coordination across programs create missed opportunities to connect families to multiple resources

While some of these require changes at the federal level, there is a lot that Illinois can do to make it easier for eligible individuals to enroll in the safety net programs they qualify for. Read about our plan for transforming Illinois’s safety net.

Explore the resources below to learn more about public benefit program enrollment, including the causes and potential solutions for under-enrollment.

Resources