Illinois Democrats are pushing for a “Free cash“ handout program statewide –
“guaranteed income”. Money would be provided to families and individuals without any work requirements whatsoever.
[Q: Should Illinois provide free money, without the requirement to work? ]
Advocates in Illinois are campaigning for a permanent statewide program that would give no-strings-attached cash payments to low-income people, similar to what’s already happening in Cook County (which includes Chicago).
Groups like Community Change and the Union for a Guaranteed Income (U4GI) want this expanded across the whole state to help around 100,000 eligible Illinoisans.
They held a meeting in early March to get input on finalizing Cook County’s version, which started as a temporary pilot in 2022 (using federal COVID relief money to pay $500 a month to 3,250 families for two years) and is now being made permanent with $7.5 million set aside starting in 2026.
Payments for the program are expected to begin later this year.
Supporters say this direct cash helps struggling families cover basics, avoid skipping meals, and invest in themselves without work requirements or restrictions.
Critics say the state should focus on growing the economy, creating jobs, and offering things like more apprenticeships instead of handing out checks that might discourage people from climbing the economic ladder.
Guaranteed income advocates in Illinois are pushing to have the state adopt a permanent guaranteed income program, modeled after Cook County’s policy.
“Our long-term vision, our North Star, is to win a statewide permanent guaranteed income program for 100,000 eligible Illinoisans,” said Byron Hobbs, director of organizing for the economic freedom team at Community Change, according to the Chicago Tribune.
“This economy has not worked for poor and low-income folks in the city of Chicago, across Illinois and across this country,” Hobbs continued.
Hobbs spoke to residents at an event hosted by the Union for a Guaranteed Income (U4GI) on March 7. The purpose of the meeting was to gather feedback about finalizing the rules and regulations around Cook County’s guaranteed income program. The first round of payments will begin by late summer or early fall of this year.
U4GI, an organization that advocates for “direct cash payments,” played a pivotal role in securing $7.5 million to launch a permanent guaranteed income program in Cook County starting in 2026.
Cook County, which includes the city of Chicago, established a permanent guaranteed basic income program after a pilot version of the program was launched in 2022 using $42 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. Payments began rolling out in December 2022, providing 3,250 low-to-moderate-income families $500 a month with no strings attached for two years.
Cook County commissioners previously told Fox News Digital they decided to make the program permanent based on findings from a survey.
Community Change, U4GI’s partner organization, posted details on Instagramabout the March 7 event a few days before it occurred.
“Now, it’s time to make sure these funds reach the people who need them most — fairly, swiftly, and without unnecessary barriers,” Community Change posted.
“We see guaranteed income as a program to help lift folks up who are struggling, but also, its no strings attached cash allows people to invest in themselves,” Hobbs said during the meeting.
Mayors Pushing For Guaranteed Income Programs Decry The Dismantling Of Federal Aid Programs
Other organizers that attended the meeting on Mar. 7 were affiliated with the Workers Center for Racial Justice and Equity and Transformation.
As advocates and officials discussed the structure of Cook County’s permanent guaranteed income program during Saturday’s meeting, the groups shared statistics and testimonies from recipients on the benefits of the program.
One recipient, Santresa Harris, 45, shared how the extra income helped her family of four by not being forced to “skip meals” and afford “daily necessities.”
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