AARP Illinois Statement on Governor’s FY 24 Proposed Budget

AARP Illinois Statement on Governor’s FY 24 Proposed Budget

The following statement was issued by AARP Illinois State Director Philippe Largent following the release of Governor Pritzker's proposed FY 24 Budget:

On behalf of our 1.7 million members across the state, AARP Illinois commends Governor Pritzker for continuing his priority of passing balanced budgets and improving Illinois’ long-running fiscal challenges.  The proposed Fiscal Year 2024 budget includes several measures that will help older adults from every part of Illinois who have, due to inflation, struggled with the overwhelming impact of rising food and housing costs access to essential services and to pay for increasingly  high costs of health care and Rx drugs in the last year. 

Proposals to fully fund the Community Care program, expand critical funding for the state’s home-delivered meals program and family caregiver resources,  increase the asset limit for the Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled (AABD) program, and pay down the pension deficit  are important steps toward improving the well-being of those 50+ and their families. 

But we still have a long way to go to make sure that those 50+ and their families have what they need to age comfortably and as they choose.  We must also expand access to services to achieve equity in home and community-based care across the Community Care Program and Home Services Program, increase funding for case management and adult day service programs, pass a tax credit to support Illinois’ 1.5 million unpaid family caregivers, and raise the monthly grant level for the AABD program. 

AARP Illinois looks forward to working alongside Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly to achieve these important critical budget priorities and improve the health and well-being of those 50+ and their families.