Public Benefits - Legal Action Chicago

Priorities:

Ensure that low-income families receive the cash and SNAP and Medicaid benefits to which they are entitled.

Prevent or minimize the impact of policies and procedures blocking access to benefits for non-citizens.

Ensure access to comprehensive, affordable health care for all, including expanded access to health coverage and elimination of gaps in coverage.

Work towards eligibility for and amount of cash assistance that meets the basic needs of people living in poverty.

To learn more about some of our Public Benefits initiatives, click below.

Healthy Illinois Campaign

Our Executive Director, John Bouman, helped start the Healthy Illinois Campaign back in 2015, and he has continued this work at Legal Action Chicago. The Campaign’s goal is full health coverage for everyone in the state regardless of immigration status.

The Campaign has secured three significant expansions of health coverage for tens of thousands of undocumented adults, resulting in coverage for people ages 45 and up. When the state struggled financially in in 2024, this coverage was partially rolled back. Nevertheless, the campaign has successfully protected coverage for minor children and adults 65 and over, though enrollment in the program for seniors has been paused.

Preserving Due Process Rights for SNAP and Medicaid Recipients Who Are Now Subject to Work Requirements

In 2025, Congress passed HR1, the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This law implemented many Trump Administration priorities, including new work requirements for some recipients of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid benefits.

We are part of a coalition led by the Greater Chicago Food Depository that is trying to negotiate the best possible implementation procedures with the Department of Human Services and thereby minimize the number of people who will lose their SNAP benefits for failing to either meet or secure an exemption from the work requirements. Our specific role is to ensure that recipients threatened with the termination of their benefits receive due process.

Increasing SNAP Benefits

SNAP benefits are calculated by subtracting 30% of a recipient’s household net income from the maximum monthly allotment for the recipient’s household size. The net income is calculated by subtracting allowable deductions (including a utility allowance that varies from state to state) from the gross income. The utility allowance in Illinois was based on a formula that did not produce an adequate allowance, so we worked with the Department of Human Services to develop an updated and more generous allowance that went into effect in 2025.