The FY26 budget for the state of Illinois has been signed into law by Governor Pritzker. This was an extremely difficult budget year, but our advocacy made an impact helping to decrease and delay cuts to Direct Support Professional (DSP) service hours, and increase DSP wages.
The final budget included an $0.80/hour raise for DSPs, which was a $0.30/hour increase from the introduced budget. Also included in the final budget is the elimination of approximately 600,000 DSP service hours (300 full time DSPs) implemented in January of 2026. This is a significant improvement from the introduced budget which proposed eliminating 900,000 DSP service hours (430 full time DSPs) effective July of 2025.
While we are frustrated to be facing cuts to staffing amidst a staffing crisis, we still have time to fight for the full restoration of DSP service hours before they are implemented in January of 2026, and we fully plan to do so. Until that time, it is important to recognize the legislators who did fight on our behalf, and there were many of them. We were lucky to have been able to secure enormous bipartisan legislative support to preserve DSP hours, and we should recognize the legislators who took a stand for individuals with disabilities.
This bipartisan support is a direct result of your persistent advocacy and education on these issues. Our legislative champions remain committed to improving I/DD services in Illinois, and we will continue to advocate for the needs of this community which has waited far too long for adequate resources and supports for individuals with disabilities.
Moving Forward
Although the General Assembly has adjourned and the state budget is law, our fight to fully restore DSP service hours is far from over. We will be coordinating with our advocacy partners over the coming weeks and months to create an advocacy strategy to restore all of the DSP hours which will be cut in 2026. The General Assembly will return to Springfield in October for the veto session, when we will be prepared to make our voices heard in support of the DSP workforce and individuals with disabilities.
In the meantime, please continue to monitor your inbox for advocacy opportunities and take action on this campaign to thank our legislative champions for their support. That support will remain crucial to our advocacy efforts moving forward.