NOTE: This year, many property tax exemptions renew automatically. Along with the homeowner and senior citizen exemptions which already renew each year, the Illinois state legislature passed a law to make the senior freeze, veterans with disabilities, and people with disabilities exemptions renew automatically for Tax Year 2020 for homeowners who had them in Tax Year 2020 and remained eligible. This law is an effort to ease the burden on the most vulnerable to COVID-19.

Senior Reduced Fare – Regional Transportation Authority (RTA)

All individuals 65 years old and older who are ineligible for the RTA Ride Free Program are eligible to receive a reduced fare permit.

Senior Services Information and Assessment Assistance – City of Chicago

Information and Assessment is the key element to accessing all programs and services for senior citizens, a “one stop link” to eldercare service providers in the City of Chicago and throughout the nation. By placing a call to 312.744.4016, an older person or caregiver receives information about the services offered by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services. Central Information and Assessment is located in City Hall with five community locations in each regional senior center.

Senior Citizen Sewer Rebate Program – City of Chicago

The City of Chicago offers a rebate through the Chicago Department of Finance for condo, town home, co-op residents 65 years of age or older. If you are a senior citizen living in a condominium, town home or co-op and you share a water meter and pay a water bill in conjunction with other units in your building or complex, you may you can qualify for the Senior Citizen Sewer Rebate of $50.00 per calendar year.

Senior Citizen Sewer Service Charge Exemption – City of Chicago

The Senior Citizen Sewer Exemption entitles seniors aged 65 or over, residing in their own residence with separate metered water service or a separate city water assessment for that residential unit, to an exemption from payment of the sewer service charge for their residence. This exemption provides substantial savings to seniors.

Senior Exemption – Cook County

The Senior Exemption (also called the Senior Citizen Exemption) provides tax relief by reducing the equalized assessed valuation of an eligible residence. This savings is in the form of a deduction on the second-installment real estate tax bill.

Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral Program – Cook County

The Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral program is a tax-relief program that works like a loan. It allows qualified seniors to defer a maximum of $5,000 per tax year (this includes 1st and 2nd installments) on their primary home. The loan from the State of Illinois is paid when the property is sold, or upon the death of the participant.

Senior citizens having a hard time paying their property taxes can take advantage of a loan program administered by the Cook County Treasurer’s Office, Treasurer Maria Pappas said today.

Applications for the Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral Program are available on cookcountytreasurer.com.

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) – State of Illinois

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps eligible low-income households pay for home energy services (primarily heating during winter months).  Energy costs can place severe and continuing stress on a family’s budget. In some instances, households are forced to make painful decisions regarding which bills to pay and which necessities to survive without.  Illinois residents with a household income that does not exceed an amount determined annually by the Department of Commerce are eligible. Annual eligibility levels are determined based on available funding and may not exceed 150% of the federal non-farm poverty level.