More than two years ago, a group of us, eight religious leaders, called on Gov. George Ryan to speak to him about the urgent need to increase the welfare cash grant. We told him that the grant was so dangerously low that it was damaging children and their families and that it had not been changed in a decade.
The typical family of three for all this time has been trying to pay for rent, utilities, clothing and food when the food stamps run out on $377 a month. We applaud the governor for taking the first important step in his proposed budget toward correcting this injustice in this difficult year. It is important because of the recognition it shows by his office and the Department of Human Services that the state needs to begin addressing its obligation to support these families at a level that will, in fact, support basic needs and enable them to stabilize their lives and eventually move into the workforce.
Our goal has been and still is to recover the loss in the value of the cash grant due to inflation since the last general increase in 1990–a goal that would require another 23 percent increase at this time, in addition to the 10 percent announced in the governor’s budget address.
We urge Ryan to fight for the increase.
