ICYMI: Gov. Pritzker Doubles Down on Affordability Initiatives for Illinois Working Families

CHICAGO – This week, Governor JB Pritzker joined community leaders and legislators to highlight two key initiatives focused on putting money back into the pockets of working families. While the federal government causes prices to rise and strips people of critical services, the State of Illinois is helping Illinoisans afford essentials by expanding tax credits and providing medical debt relief. ​

Cutting Taxes for Illinois Families

On Tuesday, Gov. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) announced that the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) cut taxes for approximately 950,000 families, saving hardworking Illinoisians more than $600 million on their taxes last year. On average, families benefitting from both credits were able to keep an average of $1,460, according to preliminary data.

Governor Pritzker signed Illinois’ first-ever child tax credit into law in 2024 and subsequently doubled the benefits for families. Refundable earned income and child tax credits are a powerful tool to help Illinois households meet essential needs such as housing, childcare, and transportation, while also supporting local economies through increased consumer spending. ​

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Erasing Medical Debt

Two years after the launch of the Illinois Medical Debt Relief Program, Gov. Pritzker announced Thursday that more than $1.4 billion in total medical debt has been eliminated for nearly 700,000 Illinoisans across all 102 counties – surpassing Illinois’ original goal of erasing $1 billion in medical debt by more than $400 million. ​

The Illinois Medical Debt Relief Program’s two-year milestone represents significant relief for Illinoisans as the federal government continues to cut healthcare and other critical services that Illinoisans rely on.

Hear directly from Kayleigh, who benefitted from Illinois Medical Debt Relief program.

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