Public Benefits - Legal Action Chicago

Every person deserves the chance to thrive. Public benefits provide essential assistance that helps Illinoisans who are living in poverty obtain healthcare and meet their basic needs, such as food and shelter. Public benefits can also create a necessary foundation for people who are trying to find work and become financially independent. Legal Action works to ensure that those who need these benefits can access them without barriers.

Our Values

The public benefits system should ensure a basic quality of life for all Illinoisans, regardless of their background, circumstances, ability to work, or capacity to navigate the system; and should provide benefits and services that maximize everyone’s chances for upward mobility.
Every low-income person deserves fair access to the services and support that Illinois provides.
Public benefits systems should promote human dignity, respect individual privacy, and function efficiently for eligible beneficiaries.

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

Legal Action is working with partner organizations to improve the AABD program, which provides monetary assistance to low-income Illinois residents who are elderly, blind, or disabled. Currently, the program is difficult to navigate without an attorney, and the benefits it offers are far too low. We are working to increase AABD allowances and improve administration of the program to transform AABD into a viable source of support for those it serves.
Legal Action is working with direct service providers and advocates to improve administration of MSP, a program that helps make health care coverage more accessible and affordable for individuals with low incomes. One key aspect of this work is facilitating cross-enrollment into MSP for the nearly 300,000 low-income Illinois residents who are enrolled in a distinct federal program that targets virtually the same population. As a result of unnecessary administrative barriers, more than 40,000 Illinois residents who are enrolled in that federal program are not receiving MSP benefits. Legal Action is working with our partners to make sure these residents receive the critical support that MSP provides.
In 2005, Illinois became the first state to provide access to health care for all children regardless of immigration status. The campaign to expand healthcare coverage to all Illinois residents, regardless of immigration status, continues today through the Healthy Illinois campaign, which recently secured coverage for adults over the age of 54. Legal Action works to support the Healthy Illinois coalition as it addresses enrollment and other implementation issues that come with healthcare expansions, and as it advocates for full coverage for all Illinois residents in coming legislative sessions.