10/8/2008
Applications available Wednesday at local Illinois Department of Human Services and Department of Employment Security offices
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today announced that the federal government has authorized the Illinois Department Employment Security (IDES) and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) to offer special Disaster Unemployment Assistance and
Disaster Food Stamp Programs for residents of seven counties declared federal disaster areas in the aftermath of the recent flooding.
"Like we saw in downstate Illinois earlier this year, the recent floods in Cook and the Collar Counties have had a devastating effect on many families," said Governor Blagojevich. "While it may take a long time for flood victims to replace what they
lost, they also have more immediate needs such as employment, food, clothing and shelter, and that's where we can step in and provide help right now. I am pleased that the USDA quickly approved this assistance so we can ensure that everyone can meet
their basic needs as they try to recover from the devastating floods."
Individuals may be eligible for these programs if they live or work in the following counties declared disaster areas by President George Bush on October 3: Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Grundy, LaSalle and Will Counties.
Disaster Unemployment Insurance (DUA)
Disaster Unemployment Insurance (DUA) is available for individuals who either reside or were employed in the disaster area, who are unemployed as a direct result of the disaster designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and who are
not eligible for any other unemployment insurance program. Applications must be filed by November 8, 2008.
Individuals can generally receive up to 26 weeks of DUA benefits as long as his/her unemployment continues to be a result of the disaster. Eligibility for DUA benefits will be determined on a week-to-week basis.
Individuals who may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance must file a claim at their nearest Illinois Department of Employment Security office. For office locations, call IDES at 888-367-4382.
Disaster Food Stamp Program
Special applications for the Disaster Food Stamp Program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services are available at (IDHS) Family Community Resource Centers (FCRC) located in the following
counties that were designated as federal disaster areas: Parts of Cook County, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Grundy, LaSalle and Will Counties. People living in Grundy County are served by the FCRC in LaSalle County.
Individuals who may be eligible for Disaster Food Stamps must file a claim at their nearest Illinois Department of Human Services office. For office locations, call IDHS at 800-843-6154. Applications will be accepted Wednesday October 8 through
Friday, October 17 from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. each day. Illinois residents who lived or worked in a disaster area in one of these counties at the time of the disaster may qualify for the Disaster Food Stamp. To qualify, they must have experienced an
adverse effect from the disaster, including damage to home or business, food loss, disaster-related expenses not reimbursed, loss or reduction of income, or inaccessibility of assets.
Disaster Food Stamps will be provided to families based on cash resources available to a household during the disaster. Non-reimbursed disaster-related expenses are allowed as a deduction from cash resources. A 4-person family with a maximum allowable
income of $2,328 would receive $565 in food stamps. A qualifying 3-person family would receive $445 and 2 persons $311. Most benefits will be available within 3 days of the date of application.
Persons on the regular Food Stamp Program that were affected by the disaster are also encouraged to apply for this special program because they may qualify for additional food stamp benefits to bring their benefit level up to the maximum benefit
amount for the month of the disaster.
Food Stamps can be used to purchase food for human consumption, but cannot be used to buy alcoholic drinks, tobacco products or non-food products.
Persons committing fraud with the Food Stamp Program may be disqualified from the program, may be fined up to $250,000 and put in prison up to 20 years or both.
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, the Illinois Department of Human Services is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs, or
disability.
Individuals who may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, must file a claim at their nearest Illinois Department of Employment Security office. Residents of the below Counties are served by the following IDES offices,
which are open from Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm:
Cook County:
- 715 East 47th Street
Chicago, IL 60653
Phone # (773) 538-9811
- 1657 South Blue Island
Chicago, IL 60608
Phone # (773) 243-5100
- 1515 East 71st Street
Chicago, IL 60619
Phone # (773) 947-2500
- 3500 West Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60651
Phone # (773) 227-7117
- 8750 South Stony Island
Chicago, IL 60617
Phone # (773) 221-3737
- 2444 West Lawrence
Chicago, IL 60625
Phone # (773) 334-6833
- 4931 West Diversey
Chicago, IL 60639
Phone # (773) 889-6820
- 837 West 119th Street
Chicago, IL 60643
- 5608 West 75th Place
Burbank, IL 60459
Phone # (708) 458-0500
- 1010 Dixie Highway
Chicago Heights, IL 60411
Phone # (708) 709-3000
- 16845 South Halsted
Harvey, IL 60426
Phone # (708) 596-2325
- 35 South 19th Avenue
Maywood, IL 60153
Phone # (708) 338-6900
- 1615 Oak Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
Phone # (847) 864-3530
DeKalb County:
- 1701 East Lincoln Highway (Route 38)
DeKalb, IL 60115
Phone # (815) 756-4893
DuPage County:
- 837 South Westmore-Meyers Road
Suite B1
Lombard, IL 60148
Phone # (630) 495-4345
Grundy County:
- 250 North Chicago Street
Joliet, IL. 60901
Phone # (815) 740-5100
Kane County:
- 501 College Avenue Suite 100
Aurora, IL 60505
Phone # (630) 978-9396
- 30 Dupage Court
Elgin, IL 60120
Phone # (847) 888-7900
- 2 Smoke Tree Plaza
North Aurora, IL
Phone # (630) 844-6640
LaSalle County:
- 1550 First Avenue-South Towne Mall
Ottawa, IL
Phone # (815) 434-3111
Will County:
- 321 Quadrangle Drive
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
Phone # (630) 759-0647
- 250 North Chicago Street
Joliet, IL 60432
Phone # (740-5100
Persons may file an application for Disaster Food Stamps at their local IDHS office listed below:
Family Community Resource Centers (FCRC)
Cook
- Calumet Park
831 W 119th St
Chicago, IL 60643-5274
Phone: (773) 660-4700 (Voice)
Nextalk: (866) 439-3713
Fax: (773) 660-2335
- Humboldt Park
2753 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60647-5246
Phone: (773) 292-7200 (Voice)
Nextalk:(866) 439-3721
Fax: (773) 292-7224
- Northern
8020 St. Louis St
Skokie, IL 60076-2923
Phone: (847) 745-3200 (Voice)
Nextalk: (866) 321-8261
Fax: (847) 745-3276
South Suburban
3301 Wireton Road Blue Island, IL 60406-2442
Phone: (708) 293-4700 (Voice) Nextalk: (866) 439-3715 Fax: (708) 293-4741
West Suburban
2701 W Lake Melrose Park, IL 60160-3041
Phone: (708) 338-7600 (Voice)
Nextalk: (866) 439-3720 Fax: (708) 338-7638
Wicker Park
1279 N Milwaukee, 3rd Fl Chicago, IL 60622-2296
Phone: (773) 292-2900 (Voice) Nextalk: (866) 439-3718 Fax: (773) 292-2920
DeKalb
1629 Afton Rd Sycamore, IL 60178-3253
Phone: (815) 895-8667 (Voice) Nextalk: (866) 322-8423 Fax: (815) 895-8679
DuPage
146 W Roosevelt Rd Villa Oaks Office Concourse-Suite 2 Villa Park, IL 60181-3575
Phone: (630) 530-1120 (Voice)
Nextalk: (866) 322-3092 Fax: (630) 834-5947
Grundy and LaSalle
700 Centennial Dr Ottawa, IL 61350-1073
Phone: (815) 433-1572 (Voice)
Nextalk: (866) 451-5770 Fax: (815) 433-2392
Kane-Elgin
600 S State St Elgin, IL 60123-7610
Phone: (847) 931-2700 (Voice)
Nextalk: (866) 323-1092
Will
45 E Webster St Joliet, IL 60432-4067
Phone: (815) 740-5350 (Voice) Nextalk: (866) 322-2586 Fax: (815) 740-5313
Persons on the regular Food Stamp Program that were affected by the disaster are also encouraged to apply for this special program because they may qualify for additional food stamp benefits to bring their benefit level up to the maximum benefit
amount for the month of the disaster.
