Who is eligible?

To qualify a person must:

• Not qualify for other cash assistance programs for reasons other than non-cooperation or receipt of a lump sum benefit,
• Or you do receive other government cash assistance but need additional money to meet your expenses (some General Assistance programs may be able to supplement your income, the amount varies based on where you live)
• Be a U.S. citizen or qualifying non-citizen
• Reside in the area served by the office

City of Chicago

There are two types of assistance programs available in Chicago with different eligibility critieria:

• The Family and Children Assistance program which provides GA to eligible families and to pregnant women.
  • To qualify, you have to be ineligible for help through TANF for reasons other than NOT cooperation with the TANF work and training requirement
  • If you care for children who are not related, you may be eligible
• The Transitional Assistance (TA) program which provides GA to individual adults,
  • You have to be determined to be “not employable” which means you are disabled based on the following:
    • You are age 55 or over and have not had gross earnings that total $2,000 or more in the past year and also have not earned at least $200 a month in seven of the last twelve months; or
    • You are needed at home to care for another person, (medical reports need to be provided to the state to prove the need); or
    • You are homeless (you can be considered “not employable” for this reason only until you are no longer homeless or for up to six months from the date of application, whichever is earlier); or
    • You are under age 20 and in full-time school attendance in high school or vocational school; or
    • You are required to take medication to control diabetes, hypertension or seizure disorders; or
    • You are temporarily ill or incapacitated.
  • If you are not employable based solely on substance addictions (drug abuse and alcoholism) and your disability would cease if your addictions were to end, then you are not eligible for cash benefits, but you are eligible for medical assistance.

Outside the City of Chicago

Township/county resident(s) who:

• indicate they plan to remain living within the township/county;
• are age 21 or over;
• or married and living with a spouse, regardless of age and even if still living with a parent;
• or age 18 and over and living with low income parents or the parents only income is from TANF, SSI or other welfare programs and the individual is responsible for paying rent or has other housing expenses;
• or age 18, 19, or 20 and not living with a parent; and
• is either a U.S. citizen or alien admitted under color-of-law

General Assistance" helps meet basic needs such as housing, utilities, food, clothing, and medical care. The aid can be in cash, vouchers, or medical assistance

Where do you apply?

If you live in the City of Chicago you apply at the local Illinois Department of Human Services Family Community Resource Center that serves your address.

Outside the City of Chicago you apply at your local township office, or county office based on the type of government structure where you live.

What happens after you apply?

Your local general assistance office will need to interview you and obtain some information such as

• Identification
• Proof of residency
• Birth certificates for children
• Social Security cards
• Proof of any income and/or assets

If you are not working, you will need to go to the unemployment office to apply for benefits and/or register for work. If you can’t work you will need to provide medical reports from your doctor. If you say you are permanently disabled you will also need to apply for Social Security and SSI benefits. If you may be eligible for other benefits such as TANF or Food Stamps you will need to apply for those benefits as well.

After you have provided all needed proofs and applied for all benefit programs to which you are referred, you will be sent a letter telling you if you are approved or denied benefits. You should get this letter in about 30 days from the date you applied. If you are approved you are also able to receive General Assistance Medical payments.

Once you are approved for benefits you may have to do community service in order to continue to receive benefits.