Senior Citizens
Joe Moore and his Ward Service Team work hard every day to assist our most valuable citizens, our senior citizens, with a myriad of concerns.
From public safety to consumer fraud concerns, we are here to help. Our Ward Service Office has always gone beyond city issues to be your local resource for all government services. From county tax issues to federal medicare and medicaid programs, we can help. Joe Moore's strong working relationship with all our elected officials allows us to work together so you don't have to visit four or five different offices.
We are forming a 49th Ward Senior League to plan social activities and conduct educational outreach. If you are interested in becoming a member of the 49th Ward Senior League, please contact us at 773/338-5796 or email us today.
Benefits CheckUp
Find Out What
Benefits and Services
You Are Eligible to Receive!
The Chicago Department on Aging uses the Benefits CheckUp to assist Chicago residents age 60 and older to determine their eligibility for more than 70 city, state and federal benefits to which they may be entitled. These programs include:
Taxes
Energy Assistance
Financial Assistance
Housing
Transportation
Health
Legal
and many Support Services
To use the service, please complete the online application and read or print out the results. If you do not have access to a computer, contact CDoA's Central Information and Assistance at 312-744-4016, or contact Joe Moore's 49th Ward Service Office and we can help you obtain a printed application.
Benefits CheckUp staff are available to assist you in filling out the application. The information from this application is entered into in a computer and a print out is produced that informs you of benefits and services you are eligible to receive. A description of the entitlement and how and where to apply for each program is provided. The Benefits CheckUp staff will help you apply to each department that administers the benefit you are eligible to receive.
The Benefits CheckUp provides a screening for benefits and a separate screening for pharmaceutical assistance. A screening can be done for benefits, just pharmaceutical assistance, or both.
To receive a Benefits Eligibility CheckUp application via post mail or if you have questions about the program, call (312) 744-4016, (312) 744-6777 (TTY) for the hearing impaired or send e-mail to: BenefitsCheckup@cityofchicago.org
Or call Joe Moore's Ward Service Office office at 773/338-5796.
Senior Citizen Medical I.D. Program
The free Chicago Senior Citizen Medical I.D. Program is a service provided by the Office of the City Clerk.
To get an I.D., seniors fill out information on an application form and have a digital photograph taken. The senior's photograph and information will be securely stored by the City Clerk's office. The information will be readily available to law enforcement agencies and medical professionals for the purpose of identifying the named person if they become incoherent or unconscious. The I.D. card will include the following information:
- The individual's picture
- Emergency Contact
- Contact Number
- Medical Conditions
- Medical Alllergies
- Blood Pressure
- Insurance Company
- Name
- Address
- City/State
- Birth Date
- Doctor
- Doctor's Number
The medical I.D. card will then be mailed to the individual's place of residence 2-3 weeks following the appointment. This service is free to all senior citizens ages 60 and over. For more information, please call the 49th Ward Service Office at 773-338-5796. This program is offered locally on specific dates. Feel free to call us to see if a date is scheduled.
H-RAIL Program
The City of Chicago's Department of Housing has an innovative program to assist senior citizens throughout the city to stay active within their own communities. The Home Repairs for Accessible and Independent Living (H-RAIL) Program provides enabling devices and home improvements such as painting, grab bars, glass repair, installation of smoke detectors and ramps at no cost to homeowners.
Senior citizens may automatically qualify. A single person household must meet the income limitation of $31,700 and a two-person household must have an income of less than $36,250. Homeowners and renters are encouraged to apply. To participate in this program, please call our office at 773-338-5796 to receive help filling out the appropriate paperwork to sign up for the H-Rail program. Senior citizens are a valuable commodity we hope to keep in the neighborhood for years to come.
The H-RAIL program is administered locally by the Rogers Park Community Council.
The Community Council provides a wealth of other senior services. We encourage you to contact them as well:
Contact: Cathie Bazzon, Senior Intervention Program, 773-338-RPCC x 11
Homeowner Exemption
Property tax relief
The 7% assessment Cap
Property tax relief legislation developed by the Cook County Assessor to help homeowners was recently signed into law. It provides immediate relief by ensuring that the taxable value of most homes will not increase by more than 7% in any one year. The 7% cap, which will be applied as an expanded version of the current Homeowner Exemption, will save homeowners money on their tax bills. The cap goes into effect following the home's reassessment and is available to all residential properties that receive the Homeowner Exemption. Homeowners will see this savings on the fall tax bill the year following their reassessment.
How To Calculate
Your tax bill
To calculate $100,000 Market Value 1
your property X .16 Residential Assessment Level (16%) 2
tax bill, use $16,000 Assessment Valuation
the following X 2 Equalization Factor 3
example for a $32,000 Equalized Assessed Value
home with an - $5,000 Homeowner Exemption 4
estimated $27,000 Adjusted Equalized Assessed Value
market value X .10 Sample Tax Rate (10%) 5
of $100,000. $2,700 Yearly Tax Bill
1 Market Value - what your property could sell for on the open market.
2 Assessment Level - the rate at which property is assessed. Single family homes, condos, co-ops, apartment buildings and mixed-use properties, six units and under, are assessed at 16%.
3 Equalization Factor - a number determined each year by the Illinois Department of Revenue to even out or "equalize" assessed values, by county, across the state. It is also called the multiplier.
4 Homeowner Exemption - the 7% cap increased the exemption amount from a minimum of $5,000 in Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) to a maximum of $20,000 in EAV. The amount of the exemption will vary based on the value of the home and the amount of the assessment increase.
5 Tax Rate - the result of dividing the spending request of a particular local government or school district by the total equalized valuation of all properties in that area. The tax rate can stay the same , increase or decrease when taxing bodies request more money. Always review dollars levied, not just tax rates. Actual tax rates vary across Cook County and are determined by local government spending needs and requests.
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Senior Citizen Exemption
Senior Citizens receiving the Senior Citizen Exemption automatically qualify for the Homeowner Exemption and do not have to apply for it separately.
The Senior Citizen Exemption provides tax relief by reducing the equalized valuation of an eligible residence by $3,000, which can further reduce your equalized assessed value. This saving is in the form of a deduction on the second-installment of the real estate tax bill.
Eligibility Requirements
1 You must be 65 years of age or older during the year for which you are applying;
2 You must either own the property or have a lease or contract which makes you responsible for the real estate taxes; and
3 The property must be your principal residence.
If you have moved or plan to move in the future, you may be entitled to a prorated Senior Citizen Exemption, based on the time of occupancy.
1 To apply for a prorated Senior Citizen Exemption you must submit:
2 A Senior Citizen Exemption Application Form
3 A closing or settlement statement
4 Copy of a recent property tax bill
5 Copy of proof of age and residency
Application Procedures
1 If you are eligible for the exemption, please complete and sign the Senior Citizen Exemption Application Form. Information pertaining to Permanent Index Number and Township can be found on your real estate tax bill.
2 You must also provide the following information:
Recent Real Estate Tax Bill For Your Home
This includes your residential/property address and index number. If your bill is not mailed to your home, you must supply ONE MORE document that would prove your home address, such as your voter's registration card, voting record from the tax year(s) for which you are applying, or Driver's License or Illinois Identification (ID) card showing your address as the property address issued prior to the earliest year for which you are applying.
Proof Of Your Age
Submit ONLY ONE official document that clearly shows your birth date, such as your Driver's License, Illinois Identification (ID) Card, Alien Registration Card, Social Security Form 2458, Naturalization Papers, Passport, or Birth or Baptismal Certificate. NOTE: Women who submit documents with maiden name must provide Marriage Certificate(s) to show connection with current name.
Cooperatives
Owners of cooperative apartments must also submit a stock certificate, occupancy agreement or trust agreement along with their application.
Applying for the Senior Citizen Exemption by mail
If you apply by mail, do not send originals of the above documents. Please send copies because the documents cannot be returned to you.
Applying for the Senior Citizen Exemption in person
If you apply in person at the Assessor's Office, your documents will be examined and returned to you while you wait.
Approval/Renewal Procedures
The Assessor's Office will notify you when your application is approved. For each year following approval, you will be sent an annual renewal form. Please sign and return this form to the Assessor's Office to preserve your exemption.
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Senior Freeze Exemption
What Is It?
The Senior Freeze Exemption allows qualified senior citizens to apply for a freeze of the equalized assessed value (EAV) of their property for the year preceding the year in which the applicant first qualifies and applies for this exemption. For example, a senior citizen who qualifies and applies for this exemption in taxable year 2005 will have the EAV of the property frozen at the 2004 EAV.
Those who qualify and receive this exemption should be aware that this does not automatically freeze the amount of their tax bill. Only the EAV remains at the fixed amount. The amount of dollars that the taxing districts asks for (levy) may change and thus alter your tax bill.
Who Is Eligible?
To qualify for the taxable year 2005, you must meet all of these requirements:
- Be 65 years of age or older in 2005.
- Have a total household income of no more than $45,000 for 2004
- Own the property, or have a legal, equitable or leasehold interest in the property on January 1, 2004 and January 1, 2005
- Be liable for the payment of 2004 and 2005 property taxes
- Use the property as a principal place of residence on January 1, 2004 and January 1, 2005.
When Do I Apply?
Those who are currently receiving the Senior Citizen Exemption will automatically receive an application form for the Senior Freeze Exemption.
If you did not receive an application form in the mail by February 1 2006, you should contact the Cook County Assessor's Office Taxpayers Services Department at 312/443-7550. The deadline to apply for the 2005 exemption is April 27, 2006.
You must file each year in order to continue to receive the Senior Freeze Exemption, and the requirements must be met each year.
Other Tax Relief Options
Senior Citizen Real Estate
Tax Deferral Program
Cook County Treasurer's Office 312/443-5100
Circuit Breaker Program
Illinois Department of Revenue 800/624-2459
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Home Improvement Exemption
What Is the Home Improvement Exemption?
The Home Improvement Exemption allows you to increase the value of your home with up to $75,000 worth of improvements without increasing your property taxes for at least four years.
Who Qualifies?
The exemption is available to owners of single-family homes, condominiums, cooperatives, and apartment buildings up to six units.
How Does It Work?
Assume you wish to add a deluxe family room costing $75,000 onto your present home . Spending $75,000 would normally increase the assessed valuation by $12,000 ($75,000 x 16%). Your property taxes would increase by about $2,950. But with the Home Improvement Exemption, the room addition will not increase the taxable value of your home for at least four years. And you would save about $2,950 for each of those years. You will automatically receive the exemption when our office field checks the building permit for the improvement. A notice will be sent to you after we complete the check.
Damage To Your Home
The Home Improvement Exemption can also be used for repair necessitated by structural damage as a result of severe weather conditions, such as flooding.
What Is Not Covered
The exemption is not granted for loss of personal property, normal weather damage, or routine maintenance. Routine maintenance includes repairs to or replacement of parts that would not increase the value of your property. The following are examples of normal upkeep:
Repair or replace roofing materials, sidewalks, driveways, or fencing
Insulate and/or add storm windows and doors
Add or replace gutters and downspouts
Place siding over existing frame structure
Add or improve trees, lawns, and landscaping
Paint, decorate, plaster, or change exterior ornamentations
Replace furnace, or replace old heating systems with solar heating
Replace kitchen cabinets, flooring, fixtures
Replace or add water softener, or add larger hot water heater
Add outdoor lighting, burglar or fire alarms
Replace electrical systems or plumbing fixtures
Install above-ground swimming pool or outdoor playground facilities
Add automatic garage door opener
Add aluminum soffit and facia
Where To Call
To learn whether you may qualify for the Home Improvement Exemption, call the Cook County Assessor's Office at 312/443-7550
FOR ASSISTANCE WITH ANY OF THESE FORMS PLEASE CALL JOE MOORE'S WARD SERVICE OFFICE AT 773/338-5796.
We also work in cooperation with our State Representatices, State Senator and Congressperson and can also assist you with:
- Claims for Veterans' Benefits
- Obtaining your Social Security Benefits
- Problems with Medicare