IL HR0419

Suspension of Department of Human Services indigent burial assistance funds was announced on April 3, 2015, retroactive to January 15, 2015, with Governor Rauner's FY 2016 budget eliminating the program entirely.

The Illinois Public Aid Code requires the State to pay reasonable amounts for funeral, burial space, and cemetery charges for eligible individuals.

The program provided burial and funeral assistance to 8,649 Illinoisans in FY 2014 whose estates were insufficient to cover expenses and who had no responsible relatives.

House Resolution requests immediate reinstatement of the indigent burial program and release of suspended funds.

Medical service providers and statewide media outlets must be notified of the program's reinstatement, including instructions for families to apply for assistance.