St. Clair Resources
Citizens Utility Board – COVID-19 Help Center
If you are having difficulty affording your utility bills during the pandemic, there is money available for lower-income families.
Visit the Citizens Utility Board’s Help Center for more information.
Verizon COVID-19 response, following the FCC agreement to waive late fees, no cutoff service, etc.
“Consider the Alternatives: Decision-Making Options for Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities”
As youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are making plans to attend college, it is more important than ever that families become fully informed about guardianship as well as less-limiting alternatives. This brief, written by Think College partners at PACER Center, defines some of the options and possible ramifications. It also suggests ways to promote self-determination no matter which option is chosen.
National Resource Center on Supported Decision-Making
Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) provides plain-language, 24/7 tools in three languages so families can understand and assert their legal rights. ILAO helps people who are unable to find or afford attorneys open opportunities for justice. Its resources can help with crises such as eviction, debt, food insecurity, domestic abuse, deportation and divorce.
The ILAO also provides resources to help with guardianship, education, health and benefits and more.
DSCC’s Guardianship and Alternatives Tip Sheet
This transition tip sheet from the Division of Specialized Care for Children can help you explore guardianship or another form of support to protect adults who cannot make decisions on their own. It includes information about guardianship, alternatives to guardianship, estate planning (wills and special needs trusts) and more.
Illinois ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) accounts make it possible for people with disabilities and their families to save and invest for expenses related to living with a disability without losing, or losing access to, federal means-tested benefits such as SSI, SSDI and Medicaid. Earnings and withdrawals are tax-free if they are spent on a broad range of qualified disability expenses including housing, health and wellness, education and training, therapy, basic living expenses and more.
“What You Need to Know About Your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) When You Turn 18”
This publication helps youth prepare for the transition from school to adult life. It provides information about SSI work incentives that primarily affect youth, as well as information about common programs and services that parents, guardians and youth may find helpful. Specific programs covered include the Student Earned Income Exclusion, SSI Continued Payments (Section 301), vocational rehabilitation and the Department of Education’s Parent Centers. Information on Medicaid, the importance of keeping health insurance and having a primary care provider are also included.
Since 2011, Internet Essentials from Comcast has connected more than 8 million low‑income Americans to low‑cost, high‑speed Internet at home. Families may qualify if they are eligible for public assistance programs including the National School Lunch Program, Housing Assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI and others.
The Parent Advocacy App for Families of Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Children
The Parent Advocacy app is a free application for families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing attending Individualized Education Program meetings, 504 Plan meetings and more.
The app aims to help you understand your child’s rights and prepare to work with the school in the best interest of your child.