The Value of Unclaimed Safety Net Benefits in Illinois

The gap between the means-tested benefits Illinois families are eligible for and how much they receive equates to billions of dollars annually. We have used the Analysis of Transfers, Taxes, and Income Security (ATTIS) microsimulation model to simulate situations in which every eligible family and individual receives all the benefits they are eligible for across seven means-tested programs that provide cash benefits (Supplemental Security Income and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), nutrition assistance (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children), and other supports (child care subsidies, public and subsidized housing, and support for home energy costs). We find that if all those eligible for the programs received the benefits, the amount of resources flowing to Illinois families from these programs would double, the child poverty rate could decline from 11.3 percent to 6.2 percent, and the rate of deep poverty among children would be cut more than half.