Estep v. Department of Public Aid

This class action challenges the authority of the Illinois Department of Public Aid (IDPA) and its director, Jeffrey Miller, to set the monthly payment distributed to over 110,000 adult General Assistance (GA) recipients who live in Chicago and 40 other downstate communities at a lower amount than that set the year before. Our function on appeal is solely one of statutory interpretation; the plaintiffs have raised no constitutional claim.

The purpose of the GA program is to provide limited aid to meet the basic subsistence requirements of needy individuals. Under authority delegated by the…