The Illinois Department on Aging's Circuit Breaker program provides
grants to senior citizens and persons with disabilities to help them
reduce the impact of taxes and prescription medications on their lives.
When the costs of property taxes and prescription medicines begin to
"overload" our seniors and persons with disabilities, this program steps
in to help, just as a circuit breaker prevents overloads in an
electrical system.
NOTICE: In past years, the Department on Aging has
been able to issue Circuit Breaker grants at the maximum allowable
amounts. However, the state budget for fiscal year 2011 (July 1, 2010 -
June 30, 2011) did not fund the Circuit Breaker program at those levels.
In order to continue to provide the Circuit Breaker grant benefit to
older adults and persons with disabilities on and after July 1, the
Department made the difficult decision to cut each grant awarded in
half. This decision based on budgetary cutbacks cannot be appealed.
Thank you for your understanding.
How does it work?
For those who qualify, Circuit Breaker provides:
Tax Grants
– If you pay property taxes or mobile home taxes on your home, or if
you rent or live in a nursing, retirement, or shelter care home that was
subject to property taxes, you may be able to receive a grant.
People with Disabilities Ride Free
– If you have a qualifying disability and meet the income eligibility
requirements of the Circuit Breaker program, you may be eligible for
free rides on all fixed-route regularly scheduled buses, trains and
public transit systems.
If you have Medicare, Illinois Cares Rx will help pay the costs that Medicare does not.
If you do NOT have Medicare, Illinois Cares Rx provides two benefits:
- Illinois Cares Rx BASIC
- Illinois Cares Rx PLUS.
Income Limits
For Illinois Cares Rx, Circuit Breaker
property tax grant/ license plate discount and People with Disabilities
Ride Free transit card, your total income in 2010 must be less than:
$27,610 for a household of one;
$36,635 for a household of two; or
$45,657 for a household of three.
Income Limits and Requirements for Illinois Cares Rx Plus and Illinois Cares Rx Basic:
You would qualify for Illinois Cares Rx Plus if:
You have Medicare; or
You are 65 years of age or older without Medicare; and
You are a U.S. citizen or qualified noncitizen; and
You are filing an application for yourself only and your total income is less than $26,917; or
You are filing an application for yourself and your spouse or
yourself and a Qualified Additional Resident(s) and your total income is
less than $36,212.
You would qualify for Illinois Cares Rx Basic if:
You do not have Medicare; and
You are 16 years of age or older but under age 65 and totally
disabled, or 65 years of age or older and you do not meet the
requirements for Illinois Cares Rx Plus; and
You are filing an application for yourself only and your total income is less than $27,610; or
You are filing an application for yourself and your spouse*,
or yourself and one Qualified Additional Resident and your total income
is less than $36,635; or
You are filing an application for yourself and your spouse and
a Qualified Additional Resident(s) and your total income is less than $45,657.
* You must include your spouse's income if married and living
together on December 31, 2010. If your spouse died during 2010, you
would file as single and claim only your income. Do not include the
income of a Qualified Additional Resident.
Illinois Cares Rx AIDS Drug Assistance
Illinois Cares Rx provides an additional coordinating benefit for
individuals who have Medicare and a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS.* For more
information, see What Drugs Are Covered: HIV/AIDS.
Follow these steps to enroll in Circuit Breaker and start receiving your benefits:
Am I eligible for Circuit Breaker?
– Review the eligibility requirements to see if you are able to enroll.
Briefly, Circuit Breaker is for Illinois Residents, age 65 or older or
with a disability, and who meet certain income requirements.
Apply today! – Mail your application or file it on the Internet.
