Benefit Access
Mary Killough, Director
Senior HelpLine: 1-800-252-8966 (711 TRS)
Benefit Access Program
The Benefit Access Program offers two benefits for seniors and persons with disabilities.
Transit Benefit
Seniors Ride Free
Transit Benefit
Persons with Disabilities Ride Free
Secretary of State
License Plate Discount
Qualifications
Age Requirements:
65 years of age or olde
r before January 1 of the current year;
You must become
65 years of age this year
; or
You must be
16 years of age or older before January
1 of the current year
and qualify as disabled
Residency Requirements:
You must live in Illinois
at the time you file your application.
Disability Requirements:
To qualify as disabled
, you must be at least
16 years of age
prior to January 1 of the current year and be determined
totally and permanently disabled
(as defined by program requirements) prior to January 1 of the current year.
Income Requirements:
Your total gross income for the last closed tax year must be less than:
$33,562
for a
1 person household
(yourself only); or
$44,533
for a
2 person household
(yourself and your spouse, or yourself and one Qualified Additional Resident); or
$55,500
for a
3 person household
(yourself, your spouse and one Qualified Additional Resident, or yourself and two Qualified Additional Residents).
You must include your spouse’s income if married and living together on December 31 of last year. If your spouse died last year, you would file as single and claim only your income. Do
NOT
include the income of a Qualified Additional Resident.
To be determined eligible for these benefits, you must submit a Benefit Access Application on the internet.  Paper applications are not available.
Apply Online
File your application easily on the Internet.
Apply Now!
Start Your Application
Application Guidance & Tools
Expand All
Collapse All
Once your application is
approved
, you can
print a certificate of eligibility
Take the certificate to:
Your
local transit authority
, or
The
Secretary of State's Office
The
license plate discount
will be available
10 business days after approval.
If you requested the
Ride Free Benefit:
Contact your
local public transit system
for details.
Note: Your local transit system
may have additional requirements
for free rides.
You can check your application status on the website
48 hours after submission.
Processing times to determine eligibility may take
up to 8 weeks
, depending on documentation.
Please wait
10 business days after approval
for your license plate discount to be active.
Check Application Status
Visit a local office of the following:
Senior Health Assistance Program​​
or
Area Agency on Aging
Call toll-free:
1-800-252-8966
. For deaf and speech-impaired communication over the telephone, dial Illinois Relay at 711.
Note:
Have your Social Security number ready when you call.
Email:
Aging.ILSenior@illinois.gov
Hindi
Polish
Russian
Simple Chinese
Spanish
Traditional Chinese
General Resources List
Eldercare Locator
Housing Locator
Resources for Seniors
Resources for Caregivers
Senior Helpline
Footer
Contact the Department on Aging
SENIOR HELPLINE
1-800-252-8966
Helpful Links
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Attorney General's Senior Citizens Consumer Fraud Hotline
BenefitsCheckup Screening Tool
National Elder Fraud Hotline
FEMA Disaster Preparedness Guide for Older Adults
Language Accessibility
Register to Vote
Resources for Seniors
States and Federal Programs for Older Adults