Illinois Assistance Programs

Locate help and assistance in all Illinois cities and counties, including Chicago and Rockford. In addition to the state programs noted below, find organizations and charities in Illinois that may be able to provide you with help paying bills.

Assistance Programs

Access To Care
The Suburban Primary Healthcare Council provides very low cost health insurance to lower income, or uninsured residents of suburban Cook County and areas around northwest Chicago.

DuPage Physician's Medical Assistance Program (DPMAP)
Provides financial assistance and help with prescription bills, medical supplies and health care fees for those living in DuPage County.

Rental Housing Support Program
The state of Illinois Rental Housing Support assistance program is the nation’s largest state rental assistance program and helps thousand pay their rent. The RHS program will provide rent grants and subsidies for thousands of low income Illinois residents. Find additional rent help.

Illinois Cares Rx Basic and Plus
This is a state-sponsored prescription plans that helps pay for medicines and drugs that Medicare Part D does not pay for.

Nicor Gas Reconnect Assistance
This program was created specifically to help customers who can’t afford to pay their bills and who have had their natural gas service disconnected. Learn more.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
This program helps both families and pregnant women with one or more dependent children with temporary cash and also other benefits. The TANF aid can help pay for shelter, rent, food, utilities, heating bills, and expenses other than medical.

Get Free Health Care and Ways to Stop Medical Debt Collectors
Regulations and laws exist in Illinois that will stop both aggressive and illegal collection efforts from medical debt collectors. Fair pricing and coverage laws also ensure patients have access to free health care and competitive prices. Continue.

FamilyCare
Low cost, very affordable healthcare coverage for caregivers or parents who live with children under age 18. There are small co-pays and there is a low cost monthly premium.

All Kids (formerly KidCare and Medicaid)
All Kids is health insurance for Illinois children, to help fmailes pay for medical bills, no matter what the family income is.

Illinois Mortgage Help and Foreclosure Assistance
Illinois has various programs that will help families with keeping their mortgage current, and they can help those in need avoid foreclosure.  More.

General Assistance (GA)
This program provides families and people with money and grants and also limited medical care to help take care of themselves if they do not qualify for other cash programs administered by the Department of Human Services (DHS). If a person has children and the family is not eligible for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) aid, the family might qualify for GA Family and Children Assistance (GA-FCA).

Medical Assistance
If you and your family are eligible for medical assistance from Medicaid through Illinois, you will have two basic decisions to make on how your health care will be delivered. Find more ways to get help with medical bills and debt.

• Fee-For-Service
• If you decide on the regular fee-for-service medical aid program, you need to find your own clinic or doctor that will accept Medicaid clients.
• Managed Care
• If you choose the managed care plan to help with medical bills, you and your family will receive their standard, basic health care through a primary care doctor that is associated with an accepted managed care plan.

Food Stamp Program
The Food Stamp Grant Program will help lower income people and families in Illinois buy the food they need for good health. Most households that have a low income can get food stamp benefits.

Child Care Assistance Program
The Illinois Child Care Assistance Program will help provide working as well as low-income families with access to affordable and high quality child care. The program also provides grants to help pay child care bills.

Assistance From Illinois Cities and Counties

Adams County (Quincy)

Alton

Champaign

Chicago

Cook County (Chicago)

DuPage County (Wheaton)

Franklin County (Benton)

Grundy County (Morris)

Henry County (Cambridge)

Jefferson County (Mount Vernon)

Kane County (Geneva)

La Salle County (Ottawa)

Macon County (Decatur)

McHenry County (Woodstock)

McLean County (Bloomington)

Morgan County (Jacksonville)

Ogle County (Oregon)

Orland

Peoria County

Rock Island County

Sangamon County (Springfield)

Stephenson County (Freeport)

Warren County (Monmouth)

Will County (Joliet)

Williamson County (Marion)

Assistance With Paying Utility and Heating Bills in Illinois

Utility Service Disconnection Assistance
A new law will will make utility bill payment plans more available to Illinois residents. The program will also allow qualified customers to pay no more than 6 percent of their income toward their energy bill and heating expenses. In addition, eligible customers who have been paying down their energy bill down loyally for a period of time equal to 12 months may be able to receive a grant for up to $1,000 to pay the balance on the utility or heating bill and also maintain their service.

Assistance from ComEd
There are several utility and heating bill assistance programs offered by ComEd, including the Residential Special Hardship Program, the ComEd Helps Activated Military Personnel (CHAMP), Fresh Start, the CARE Program, and last, but not least, the ComEd CARE Power-Up Contribution Program. Learn more.

Illinois Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) was designed to help eligible low-income households in Illinois pay for their winter utility and heating bills. LIHEAP is funded by both the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and also the state of Illinois. Energy assistance is provided by not-for-profit agencies or local community action agencies located throughout the state.

The LIHEAP program will provide a one-time benefit to households that need it, and the payment is to be used for energy bills. The amount of the benefit provided is determined by many factors, including fuel type, income, household size, and even geographic location. You do not need an overdue bill or cutoff notice for aid. Also, you do not even have to own your home or pay energy bills directly to be eligible for assistance.

There is also an emergency heating bill assistance program, and emergency assistance may be available if your household is disconnected from the energy source that is needed for heating, and assistance may be available if a fuel supplier has refused to deliver to you, and the tank contains 10% or less.

Assistance for service reconnection will only be provided to those households that have made a good faith effort to maintain their energy services and stay current, or that can pay a portion of the amount owed for reconnection.

Hardship Assistance for Residential Customers
Utility companies in Illinois work with local community action agencies to provide grants to help pay energy bills. The agencies distribute the grant funds based on the needs of individual customers with household incomes of up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, so even middle class households can receive utility bill assistance. They provide up to $600 in grants per household.

Good Samaritan Initiative
All utility companies offer this program, and qualified participants can get their utility service restored by paying 20 percent or $250 of their remaining utility bill balance.

Summer Energy Assistance Program
The Illinois LIHEAP Summer Energy Assistance Program is targeted to so called at-risk households, which is defined as persons with disabilities, seniors, families with children less than 36 months of age as of the date of application, and those families with medical conditions that would be aggravated by extreme heat.

The City Of Chicago offers the Emergency Housing Assistance Program
Grants, to be used for emergency repair are offered by this program. The grants can be used for replacing and/or repairing heating or cooling units, emergency/critical roof repairs and other energy saving measures.