How to Qualify for Public Aid in Illinois
Illinois public aid enables you to receive financial help to pay your bills and get medical insurance to cover your medical expenses. Public assistance in Illinois, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid, is administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services. If you want to apply for food stamps, as well as other forms of financial assistance, you'll have to meet different eligibility requirements depending upon which program you choose to apply for.
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Instructions
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Complete the Illinois Department of Human Service's food stamp calculator (see Resources) to see if you qualify for food stamps. Qualifying for food stamps depends on many factors including household size, income and asset levels and household expenses. In general, you cannot have more than $2,000 in countable resources like money in bank accounts or cars valued over $4,650 (as of January 2011). In addition, you cannot earn more than 130 percent of the poverty level: the exact amount depends upon your household size.
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Visit the Illinois Department of Human Service's Cash assistance website (see Resources) and then follow the links to find specific eligibility requirements for each program. Available programs are: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled; Earnfare for adults for receive food stamps but do not have custody of their children; General Assistance and Transitional Assistance. Eligibility is different for each program. For example, to qualify for General Assistance, you must be a U.S. citizen and not be eligible for any other DHS program.
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Gather your documentation. In order to apply for public aid, you need proof of identity like a driver's license of state identity card, Social Security cards for all applicants, proof of financial status like child support documentation or pay stubs and income tax returns for the previous three years. Depending on your case, you may be asked to provide further documentation.
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Apply to the program of your choice. A DHS representative will determine your eligibility; if you aren't eligible for the program of your choice, she may recommend a different program.
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Tips & Warnings
The determination of how much assistance you qualify for can only be determined by the Illinois Department of Human Services. Even if you think you probably might not qualify you should apply anyway -- you may have overlooked an important factor regarding your eligibility.
References
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