Illinois Military Family Relief Fund

The Illinois Military Family Relief Fund makes grants to the families of Illinois National Guard members and to Illinois residents serving in the Reserve components who were called to federal active duty during an emergency declared by the President or by Congress. The fund runs several grant types rather than one: a status-based grant tied to the fact of the mobilization, a needs-based grant for families in financial difficulty, a casualty-based grant where a service member is injured by hostile action, and a grant for extended state active duty. Grant amounts are set administratively and have changed over time, so this entry does not print a figure. Ask the Department of Veterans' Affairs for the current amount for the grant type you need. A number quoted in an older guide is not reliable here. The fund is supported partly by a voluntary check-off on the Illinois income tax return and by sales of related license plates, which is worth knowing because it means the pot varies year to year. Eligibility runs through the service member's mobilization rather than through a disability, so there is no rating test. A family should treat this as one of several routes rather than the only one. The Department also administers Veterans Cash grants, funded by a state lottery scratch-off game, which go to organizations serving veterans in areas including homelessness, post-traumatic stress disorder, and disability services. A County Veterans Assistance Commission can say which local organizations hold those grants. Apply through the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs.