Illinois IDHS Funeral and Burial Benefits 2026–27: Who Qualifies, How Much It Pays, and the 180-Day Deadline
Updated: 4 days ago
When a loved one dies without money for a funeral, the costs often land on family members who are grieving and short on cash. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) has a Funeral and Burial Benefits program that helps pay for the funeral and the burial or cremation of people who were receiving, or would have qualified for, certain state assistance.
The amounts are modest, the eligibility rules are specific, and the deadlines are strict. This guide walks through each one so you don't lose the benefit on a technicality.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Our Editorial Standards explain how this guide was researched.
Call the IDHS Funeral and Burial Unit to confirm before you file.
Who Qualifies
IDHS pays funeral and burial expenses for a person who, at the time of death, was receiving one of these kinds of assistance:
TANF cash (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
AABD Cash (Aid to the Aged, Blind, or Disabled)
AABD Medical
All Kids Assist, Parent/All Kids Assist, or All Kids Moms & Babies
Family Assist
General Assistance
Foster Care/Adoption Care
Coverage can also apply if the person would have qualified. IDHS's policy manual says a deceased person who would have qualified for Assist, Moms and Babies, or AABD Medical while alive can still be covered, as long as an application is made within 3 months after the calendar month of death.
The manual also covers:
People who had applied and were found eligible
A stillborn child of a mother who qualifies
A baby who died before being added to an active case
An important exclusion: IDHS's policy manual says funeral and burial is not a covered service under the ACA Adult group. That's the Medicaid expansion group many working-age adults without children are enrolled in. If your loved one had Medicaid through the ACA expansion, this benefit may not apply. Ask IDHS about their specific case.
How Much IDHS Pays
IDHS lists these maximums:
Funeral: up to $1,370
Burial or cremation: up to $686
Combined standard: $2,056
The claim form adds a separate limit of $142 for anatomical gifts (body donation).
The payment is the lowest of three numbers: the standard above, the actual cost of the services, or the total amount the claimant paid. IDHS also subtracts the deceased person's resources that are available for funeral costs.
Others can chip in. IDHS says people who aren't legally responsible for the deceased may contribute toward the casket, urn, or vault, and toward extra merchandise that isn't required as part of IDHS's payment. The program page lists limits of $2,000 for the funeral and $2,000 for burial on those additional expenses.
The Two Ways to Claim
1. The funeral home or cemetery files (Form IL444-0029, Funeral or Burial Claim). Many families start here. Tell the funeral director right away that the person was on an IDHS program and ask whether they accept IDHS funeral and burial claims.
2. A person who already paid files for reimbursement (Form IL444-0094, Funeral and Burial Reimbursement Claim). This is for someone not legally responsible for the deceased who paid at least the amount of the claim. When two or more people helped pay, only one claim is accepted, so the family must choose one person to file.
Who Cannot Be Reimbursed
According to the IL444-0094 instructions, IDHS will not reimburse:
A beneficiary of the deceased's life insurance, unless the insurance payout is less than the reimbursement standard
The deceased's spouse
A parent of a deceased child under 18
If the person who paid falls into one of these groups, ask the funeral home whether it can file the provider claim instead.
Deadlines You Can't Miss
The reimbursement form lists these time limits:
Within 30 days of death: File if you can. Claims filed after 30 days must include a written explanation of the delay.
180 days after death: Claims filed after this point will be denied.
90 days to resubmit: If IDHS sends your claim back for changes, you have 90 days to resubmit it, or it will be denied.
How to File a Reimbursement Claim
Get the form. Download IL444-0094 from IDHS, or pick it up at your local Family Community Resource Center. Use the IDHS Office Locator to find one.
Fill in every item. Enter "NA" for anything that doesn't apply. You'll need the deceased's name, SSN, date of birth and date of death, their IDHS case name and number, and the funeral home and cemetery names.
Attach proof. Include copies of contracts, purchase records, and receipts showing the amounts paid, who paid, and who was paid.
Explain anything unusual on a separate sheet, including why you're filing late if it's past 30 days.
Sign it and include a phone number.
Send it to the IDHS Funeral and Burial Unit:
Mail: Illinois Department of Human Services, Funeral and Burial Unit, 100 South Grand Avenue East, 2nd Floor, Springfield, IL 62762
Email: dhs.fb@illinois.gov
Fax: 217-524-7554
Questions about a claim, payment, or denial: Call the Funeral and Burial Unit at (217) 785-4216. The general IDHS Help Line is 1-800-843-6154 (TTY 1-866-324-5553).
Other Help That Can Stack With IDHS
Veterans: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, the VA pays up to a $1,032 burial allowance and $1,032 for a plot. For a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the maximum is $2,000. For non-service-connected deaths, you generally must file within 2 years after the burial. Apply online at VA.gov or by mail with VA Form 21P-530EZ.
Social Security: A one-time $255 lump-sum death payment may go to an eligible surviving spouse or child. Call 1-800-772-1213.
Your rights with the funeral home: Under the FTC Funeral Rule, funeral homes must give you an itemized price list, and you can choose only the goods and services you want. That can help keep costs within what IDHS pays.
Frequently Asked Questions
My mother had Medicaid. Will IDHS pay for her funeral?
It depends on which program. Coverage applies to AABD Medical, the All Kids programs, Family Assist, TANF, and the others listed above. IDHS says it isn't covered for the ACA Adult group. Call IDHS with her case number to check.
Is there an income limit for the family?
The eligibility test is about the person who died and their assistance program, not the family's income. But some claimants are excluded, such as the spouse and life insurance beneficiaries.
What if we already paid the funeral home?
The person who paid, if not legally responsible, can file IL444-0094 for reimbursement within 180 days of the death. Attach the receipts.
Can several relatives each file a claim?
No. IDHS accepts only one reimbursement claim per death. Choose one person to file.
How long does IDHS take to pay?
IDHS doesn't publish a processing time on its program page. Call the Funeral and Burial Unit at (217) 785-4216 for status.
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