Just two days after a spokesperson for the Department of Human Services said that Gov. Quinn's questionable office consolidation plan was on hold, the agency is reversing course. Lee Newspapers' Mike Riopell has an update:

But Wednesday, [Quinn administration spokesman Tom] Green said there was a communication mix-up, and the closures of the Department of Human Services facilities are going forward. He said they are delayed because the state is working out leases.

“My term of ‘on hold’ was actually incorrect,” Green said.

What's "incorrect" is Quinn's decision to shut down 17 field offices at a time of increasing demand for the agency's services. Diane Doherty, director of the Illinois Hunger Coalition, told us on Tuesday that an additional 100,000 people qualified for food stamps in the first four months of 2009. For every family that visits DHS regularly, there are many more that are eligible but don't utilize the programs. Making it more burdensome to visit an office nearby will only depress turnout futher. Meanwhile, the estimated budget savings ($800,000 annually) are negligible.

Green says the number of offices slated for closure could change. We'll update you when more information is released.