Health & Benefits

General Assistance (GA) is a program of "last resort." That means that people can only get GA if they can't get any other form of state or federal public benefits. GA provides help to eligible residents in the form of cash or voucher payments. 

All townships and counties in Illinois are required by the state to provide GA.  If a person’s town does not belong in a township, their county must allow them to apply for GA with their office. 

Each township and county has different rules for who can get assistance and how much assistance a person can get.  Generally, to be eligible for GA, a person must:

• Be a resident of Illinois (a permanent address is not needed),
• Live in the township or county they are applying to for at least 6 months, 
• Not be eligible for any other state or federal public benefits, such as Social Security disability A federal program that gives money to people who cannot work because of a disability benefits, or have an appeal A request to change a court's decision pending for the denial When a court rejects or refuses to allow a request; for example, when a judge decides not to grant an attorney's objection. of benefits, and
• Be a US citizen or a qualifying non-citizen.

They must also meet income and asset rules for the township or county that is providing the aid. Generally, a person’s house, furniture, clothing, one car, and tools for a business are not considered assets Anything a person owns that has financial value for determining whether someone qualifies for GA. Some townships or counties only provide GA to adults with no children, while others allow for families to apply. Certain townships or counties may also require applicants to submit to a urine drug test, provide proof of a job search, provide proof of inability to work due to medical reasons.

Families who can’t get Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) may be eligible for GA, even if they have time limits for TANF benefits. 

The office that administers GA may be a person’s county or township.  Each GA office has its own GA program and its own rules for its GA program. These rules decide who can get assistance, what documentation they need to provide, and how much assistance a person can get. The rules for each GA office may not be published online. However, GA offices must let the public review the rules for qualifying for GA at township office.

First, a person must determine whether they live in a township based on their county.  Not all counties have townships. The Illinois Association of County Board Members has a website where people can see if their county has townships. If a person isn’t sure which township they belong to, they should call their county to find out. 

Once they determine which township they live in, they can search the internet to see if their township has a website with information on General Assistance. Most townships will require users to call or submit a contact form to get more information on General Assistance.

If information about GA isn’t available online, people can also go to their local township or county office and request eligibility information, including the “General Assistance Manual.” 

Illinois law allows for townships and counties to set their own citizenship requirements. This means that a program could decide to restrict or expand who can receive GA based on their immigration status.

Yes. People with two criminal convictions for violating public aid rules are not eligible for GA. But, a drug-related felony A serious crime that is punishable by more than one year in prison conviction When someone is declared guilty of a crime by a court will not automatically disqualify someone from receiving GA.

Yes, some GA offices provide cash assistance. The type and amount of payment depend on the local GA office’s rules. Some GA offices give a small monthly payment by check, and other GA offices provide vouchers to vendors like a landlord. An owner of property who rents it out to a tenant Monthly payments may go up depending on family size, but may not meet all of their needs. For example, payments may go up based on the number of children in the family.

Some GA offices provide assistance in the form of vouchers that can be used to pay for basic needs. The GA office will look at certain basic needs that the applicant says they can’t pay for without help. The monthly payment level for each voucher may still not cover all needs.

Examples of basic needs are:

• Shelter costs like rent,
• Food,
• Utilities,
• Clothing,
• Household supplies,
• Personal essentials,
• Laundry, and
• Necessary medical care.

GA offices may pay for pressing medical needs if the applicant has no other way to pay. GA offices will only pay for necessary medical care for the applicant. It’s better to try to apply for other available medical programs first before GA.

People with children should apply for the Illinois Children’s Health Insurance Program. The program is designed for children from low-income families to receive medical assistance. It is also known as CHIP or All Kids medical coverage from the state. Learn more about All Kids medical assistance.

People between the ages of 19 and 64 years old, who need medical help should apply for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Adult Any person 18 years old or over Medicaid program. ACA Medicaid provides medical coverage for most adults who are eligible for GA. Learn more about ACA Adult Medicaid at Get Covered Illinois.

If a person can’t get ACA Medicaid, but they can get GA, they might be able to get medical assistance from their county or township. But, medical assistance from the GA office will be less than ACA Medicaid. The GA office may provide either:

• Necessary treatment, care, and supplies required because of illness or disability, A substantial impairment that functionally limits a person in carrying out major life activities, such as walking, lifting, seeing, or learning. or
• Acute medical treatment, care, and supplies only.

GA offices usually won’t pay for:

• Preventative medical care,
• Optical,
• Chiropractic, or
• Non-emergency dental care.

For non-emergency dental care, the applicant must get approval from the township office administering the GA program they get the care.

Many GA offices will give more assistance if there are special needs. For example, more assistance may be given if the applicant has diabetes or needs childcare while they go to school or job training. But this doesn’t apply to employment.

In some cases, a GA office may help pay for funeral and burial costs.

Some GA offices may provide assistance with qualified home repairs.

If someone already gets GA, they can’t also get emergency assistance.  But, if someone only gets medical assistance, they may be eligible for emergency assistance.

A person can get emergency assistance only one time per year from their township. 

A GA office may provide emergency assistance:

• In life-threatening situations, and
• To help someone take care of themselves.

Some GA offices may provide assistance when a disaster is declared. 

If a person received GA while waiting for disability A substantial impairment that functionally limits a person in carrying out major life activities, such as walking, lifting, seeing, or learning. or SSI benefits from Social Security, they will have to repay GA. However, they will only have to pay if they are approved for disability and receive a back benefit. 

If a person receives disaster assistance from GA and then is approved for benefits from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), they will have to repay GA.

They can apply for GA by filing a written application with their local GA office. The GA office is either through a township, or a county. Learn more about applying for General Assistance.

All General Assistance applicants have rights when they apply for GA, including:

• The right to apply for GA, even if they might not be eligible.
• The right to get help to complete the GA application.
• The right to not be discriminated against.
• The right to confidentiality of their GA application and benefits received.
• The right to a written notice of a Decision or any Change to GA benefits.
• The right to appeal any action, inaction, or decision of the GA office.

Yes. They have 60 days from the date on the notice to appeal a GA decision. If they are currently getting GA benefits and file an appeal within 10 days, they can continue to get assistance until they get an appeal decision. Learn more about how to appeal a GA decision.