Illinois Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs, from Chicago's neighborhoods to the farm towns of southern Illinois
A January heating bill, a layoff or a rent hike can leave an Illinois household scrambling. Helping Hands shows you the Illinois assistance programs that fit your needs and how to reach them.
Let us know what you're up against. We'll show you the programs, their eligibility rules and the Illinois offices that can help.
Our reach spans all 102 counties in Illinois. You may rent a two-flat on Chicago's South Side, own a house in Rockford or Peoria, or live along a county road in Will, Kane or Champaign County. Our guidance costs you nothing, wherever you are.
Help in Illinois comes from state programs run by IDHS, federal programs, local charities, food banks and community action agencies. We help you make sense of them.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
Every program uses its own yardstick. Your income and household size matter, and so do age, disability, housing costs and your work record.
We help you pick out the programs that may fit and the first place to call.
Illinois Financial Assistance Programs
A plant closing, a medical emergency or a cut in hours can drain a family's savings fast. Illinois households have several kinds of financial help to consider, and the right fit depends on your situation.
If paying for the basics has become a struggle, we help you find resources that fit and show you where to apply.
Helping Hands can help you locate information about programs and resources involving:
Illinois Food Assistance and SNAP Benefits
Groceries eat up more of a stretched budget every year.
Among Illinois food assistance programs, we focus first on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Illinois loads SNAP benefits onto the Illinois Link card, which works like a debit card at approved stores.
Worried about keeping food on the table? A quick look at SNAP eligibility makes a smart first move.
The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) takes applications for SNAP, cash assistance and Medicaid, and you can apply online through ABE, the Application for Benefits Eligibility.
We can also help Illinois residents locate:
Illinois Utility Bill Assistance
Illinois winters send heating bills soaring, and humid summers bring their own spikes. Fall behind on gas, electric or water and a disconnection notice can follow.
If you qualify, Illinois utility assistance programs may cover part of your heating or electric bill, and we show you where to apply.
Resources may include information about:
LIHEAP Help in Illinois: Help Illinois Families
Illinois runs the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) under the Help Illinois Families name.
Local community action agencies take LIHEAP applications across the state and can help with crisis and reconnection needs. Dates, funding and rules change each year, so confirm them with your local agency.
We help you find that agency and get your application going.
Illinois Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
Rent can take most of a paycheck when your income drops or an emergency hits.
Behind on rent, facing eviction, searching for an affordable apartment, or worried about losing your home? Chicago, the collar counties and downstate towns each have programs and groups that may step in.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying Illinois residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in Illinois
If you need a lower rent in Illinois, learn about Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized housing.
Local housing authorities run these programs, and rules and wait lists differ between Chicago, the suburbs and downstate counties.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
Illinois Eviction Assistance
Got an eviction notice or a stack of unpaid rent? Act now. Eviction cases don't wait.
Look to us for rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency housing, legal aid and local community resources across Illinois.
Depending on your case, help may come from nonprofits, legal aid groups, local agencies or housing programs.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in Illinois
Homeowners who hit a rough patch have more choices before payments fall far behind.
Illinois homeowners can also get information and referrals for foreclosure prevention and housing counseling here.
If you think you could lose your home, call your mortgage servicer and a housing counselor early.
Illinois Assistance for Seniors
Older adults in Illinois may qualify for help with health care, food, housing, transportation and household bills.
For aging and Medicare questions, call the Illinois Department on Aging Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
Illinois Medicaid and Medicare Resources
Medical bills hit seniors, people with disabilities and families on low incomes the hardest.
Helping Hands helps you find information about Medicare, Medicaid, health-care assistance and other medical resources that fit your situation in Illinois.
IDHS takes Medicaid applications in Illinois, while Medicare enrollment goes through Social Security, so check each program's current rules.
Disability Assistance in Illinois
Illinois residents with disabilities may qualify for specialized programs and community support.
Qualifications change from program to program, so review each program on its own terms.
Helping Hands can help Illinois residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for Illinois Residents
Benefit denials, housing disputes and money trouble can call for a lawyer.
Low-income Illinois residents can turn to legal aid and free legal resources, and we help you find an office near you.
Offices in Cook County and downstate set their own limits on free and low-cost cases.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
Emergency help steadies things for now. A better job keeps them steady.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources that can help Illinois residents land better work and build steadier income.
Resources may include:
Illinois Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Illinois food banks and pantries hand out groceries and meals from the Chicago suburbs to the southern tip of the state.
Pantries and meal programs serve families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone in a short-term crisis, and we help you find one close by.
For fast help with food, shelter or bills, dial 2-1-1 in Illinois. 211 Illinois answers around the clock and links you to local services.
Assistance Available Throughout All 102 Illinois Counties
Cook County or Alexander County, our program information and guidance cover all 102 counties in Illinois.
Our Illinois resources reach big cities and small towns, including:
- Chicago
- Aurora
- Naperville
- Joliet
- Rockford
- Springfield
- Elgin
- Peoria
- Champaign
- Waukegan
- Cicero
- Bloomington
- Evanston
- Decatur
- Carbondale
- Cook County
- DuPage County
- Lake County
- Will County
- Kane County
- And communities throughout Illinois
From a Chicago walk-up to a farmhouse outside Effingham, the help you can get depends on your household and the programs running in your county.
How Helping Hands Can Help
Agencies, forms, rules and wait lists can make the right program hard to spot.
Helping Hands works as your guide to the options open to Illinois residents.
Our goal is to help you:
- Identify programs that may match your situation.
- Understand basic eligibility requirements.
- Find the appropriate agency or organization.
- Learn where and how to apply.
- Locate additional resources if one program does not meet your needs.
Every Illinois resident can use our help and resource information at no cost.
Need Help in Illinois? Start Here.
Having trouble with food, rent, heating bills, medical costs or another crisis? You don't need to find every program on your own.
Tell us what's happening and we'll connect you with IDHS, community action agencies and local groups that may help.
Common Illinois Assistance Programs
Food & Nutrition
- SNAP / Food Stamps
- EBT information
- Food banks
- Food pantries
- Emergency food assistance
Housing
- Rental assistance
- Section 8
- Low-income housing
- Eviction assistance
- Foreclosure prevention
- Emergency housing
Utilities
- LIHEAP
- Electric assistance
- Gas assistance
- Utility bill assistance
Financial Assistance
- Emergency financial assistance
- Cash assistance
- Family assistance
- Single-parent resources
- Community grants and assistance
Health & Senior Services
- Medicare
- Medicaid
- Senior assistance
- Disability resources
- Health-care assistance
Other Resources
- Legal assistance
- Education
- Job training
- Workforce resources
- Community services
Immediate Illinois Assistance
Need help right now? Dial 2-1-1 and 211 Illinois will link you to local food, shelter and utility help around the clock.
For SNAP, cash assistance and Medicaid, contact the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS).
For aging and Medicare questions, call the Illinois Department on Aging Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966.
Helping Hands brings the Illinois help system down to a few clear next steps.
Check your eligibility and start on Illinois assistance programs today, from Rockford to Carbondale.
Helping Hands is a resource and information service. Program eligibility, availability, funding, and application requirements are determined by the applicable government agency, nonprofit organization, housing authority, or other program administrator. Providing information about a program does not guarantee eligibility or approval.
