The Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) has announced that in July 2025, the PUNS Unit of its Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) selected every eligible adult who has been waiting to apply for Developmental Disability (DD) waiver services for more than 42 months. This waiting period of 42 months is a full 18 months earlier than the Ligas Consent Decree requires PUNS to select eligible adults.
PUNS staff also report that they have worked with the Independent Service Coordinator (ISC) Agencies to ensure that they have valid contact information for individuals on PUNS. This step will enable staff to immediately begin sending out selection letters and working to confirm eligibility for services.
PUNS is a database where individuals are seeking DD waiver services (or who may seek them in the future), funded by DHS. Examples of DD waiver services include Community Integrated Living Arrangements, Home-Based Supports, and Child Group Homes.
As state funding becomes available, the PUNS unit selects individuals seeking services from the database based on the length of time they have been in the database and awaiting services. Once the PUNS unit selects a person from the database, they receive a selection letter that authorizes them to file for DD waiver services.
The Ligas Consent Decree is a settlement in a lawsuit entitled Ligas v. Hamos. The lawsuit was filed in July 2005 on behalf of individuals with developmental disabilities living in private, state-funded facilities of nine or more persons, or those at risk of living in such facilities. Part of the Ligas Consent Decree establishes timelines for the selection of individuals in PUNS to apply for DD waiver services.
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