Federal Poverty Guidelines

The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) released updated annual federal poverty guidelines for 2026. The federal poverty guidelines establish financial eligibility for various federal programs, such as Medicaid. These guidelines are effective as of Jan. 15, 2026. 

The 2026 poverty guidelines for Illinois are:

Family Size	Poverty Guideline
1	$15,960
2	$21,640
3	$27,320
4	$33,000
5	$38,680
6	$44,360
7	$50,040
8	$55,720

For families/households with more than eight people, add $5,680 for each additional person.  

For Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the federal poverty guidelines in place “at the time of application” are used to determine eligibility. However, Medicaid agencies have flexibility as to when they adopt the new federal poverty guidelines.     

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