General Assembly Eliminates the Wrong Door in Illinois

On the heels of the passage of HB2383, which expanded access to the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), HB745 - The No Wrong Door Bill - unanimously passed out of the Senate this week. As with HB2383, this bill is really about making the support systems needed by people facing poverty work for them. This bill puts in place some common sense changes.

• Creates a "No Wrong Door" policy for applications - Allows initial applications for TANF, Food Stamps, and Medical to be submitted at any Department of Human Services (IDHS) office, not limited to the office that is assigned to a person based on home address.
  

• Gives clients a choice of location for ongoing case management - Allows clients to self-identify the IDHS local office where they'd like to have their case to be housed and managed, rather that being assigned simply based on home address, consistent with their place of employment, child care location, or related service need.
  

• Automatically waives face-to-face interviews when an applicant reports earned income. The concept being that if you are reporting earned income, the face-to-face interview only makes it harder for you to work, not easier.

These simple steps forward works on obvious and not-so-obvious levels. The obvious part is that it makes our income support programs work with the real life demands of those that need those supports. If our goal is a system that helps people become self-sufficient, then we need to make sure our rules truly support that goal. Anything that makes blending work and supports easier does that.

The not-so-obvious level is the issue of dignity. Human rights, if nothing else, is about dignity. We are inserting choice into a system that too often robs those who use it of their dignity. Our support systems should not only provide tangible support, but should also provide support that builds confidence. The simple act of being able to chose which office works best for your needs does that. Telling people that if they are working, they do not need to take off work for a meeting to prove they are working, does that. People need to believe in themselves and subtle changes such as this, especially when combined with the provision of HB2383, take us one step closer to realizing human rights in Illinois.