Pay Now Illinois

Irreparable Harm Stories

The failure of Illinois to pay the 97 Pay Now Illinois Plaintiffs for services rendered under contracts since July 1, 2015 has created a public emergency as the infrastructure for the delivery of essential human and social services is beginning to crumble. These companies and agencies are laying off staff, shutting down programs and nearing the point where whole organizations must close. The irreparable injury here is immense. And it is getting worse each week without payment. What follows are stories of the irreparable harm some of these plaintiffs are facing.

The Damage Done: How Illinois is Unravelling its Human Services

Story Map: Declining IDHS Human Service Contracts - The Impact on Contractors

Children’s Home + Aid has shut down the entire Englewood branch of its youth services program, abandoning the 100 youths who were served last year with such critical services as safe housing while helping these young people reconcile with their families.  Without this assistance, it is likely these youth will end up in juvenile justice or with the Department of Children and Family Services. Children’s Home has laid off 37 individuals, will need to lay off an additional 40 if funds are not received soon, and feels strongly that the programs that took years to create by building strong relationships in individual communities will not only face the possibility of being completely shut down, but may never be reestablished. Click here to read the full story.

Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA) is a network of 29 rape crisis centers that annually serves 18,000 victims 24/7, providing crisis intervention, medical advocacy and support counseling, as well as a 24-hour hotline. Because of the state’s failure to pay the $6 million that ICASA is owed for services rendered, the agency has laid off staff or reduced hours at 17 of its centers. At this time, 31 full-time equivalent positions are unfilled, while salaries have been cut at many of the centers. If the network shuts down, the safety of communities will be threatened as will the entire justice system. Click here to read the full story.

Inspiration Corporation was forced to cut all of its Housing Retention specialists who helped formerly homeless families stay in their Chicago Low-Income Housing Trust Fund subsidized apartments through home visits and other services, ensuring that they consistently pay their rent and avoid eviction; evicted clients find it difficult to secure housing again. It also helps apartments remain dedicated to the homeless system. Its work is especially important in helping families led by single mothers receive assistance to ensure that their children are enrolled in school or safe childcare. Because of lack of payment on its contracts totaling $118,000, now only an intern is available to field emergency calls from tenants and landlords and route them to the housing director. Click here to read the full story.

Pediatric AIDS Chicago Prevention Initiative (PACPI) helps prevent babies from being born with HIV; during 2015 there were zero transmissions of HIV from infected mothers to their newborn babies. Without intervention between 35 and 70 newborns would have contracted HIV, which would have cost the state approximately $1 million over the lifetime of an infected baby.  So, while PACPI in effect saves the state tens of millions of dollars, the state has failed to pay it the more than $600,000 owed for services provided under signed contracts. PAPCI anticipates running out of money by December and shutting its doors; it believes it would take years to rebuild its organization. No other group in Illinois is able to replicate the work of PACPI. Click here to read the full story.

Senior Helpers – Lincolnwood keeps its elderly clients in their homes and out of expensive nursing homes, which cost the state nearly twice as much as in-home care. The owner has tapped his 401(k) to keep the doors open and his staff employed. But it will need to close in a month if funding from the state is not received. If Senior Helpers should close and its clients are forced to move to nursing homes, the state and taxpayers will bear those costs. Click here to read the full story.



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