Financial Assistance
For All Survivors of Violent Crimes
- Crime Victims Compensation → Provides compensation for various types of specific expenses (see particular sections later), but also provides compensation for general loss due to loss or damage of property and services loss due to loss of services/wages the victim or dependent would have performed.
- May compensate individuals who experience violent crime for lost wages due to that violent crime.
- Violent Crime Witness Protection Act → Financial support may be awarded for emergency/temporary housing costs, lost wage assistance, and other expenses.
- May provide assistance to cover lost wages due to witnessing violent crime.
For Survivors of Domestic and Family Violence
- Illinois Public Aid Code: Domestic and Sexual Violence → Eligibility requirements for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, also known as cash assistance) may be waived for applicants who are survivors of domestic or sexual violence.
- Illinois Vital Records Act → This act waives the fees associated with acquiring a birth certificate for survivors of domestic violence who are currently residing in a domestic violence shelter.
For Immigrant Survivors
- Survivor’s Support and Trafficking Prevention → Extends social services, SNAP Benefits and TANF cash assistance, to non-citizens who have experienced sexual violence or trafficking.
For Survivors of Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking
- Trafficking Victims Protection Act → Individuals who experience trafficking have the right to sue their trafficker for monetary damages.
- Illinois Public Aid Code: Domestic and Sexual Violence → Eligibility requirements for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, also known as cash assistance) may be waived for applicants who are survivors of domestic or sexual violence.
Review Your Rights
As a survivor of violence in Illinois, these are your rights on both a state and federal level.
What Do You Need?
As a survivor of violence in Illinois, you may be eligible for support with financial needs, housing, medical costs, mental health services, funeral or burial costs, relocation costs, and more. Based on what happened to you, you may be eligible for different services and supports. Click here to see which policies can provide access to these supports.
Eligibility and Access
Policies outlining rights and services afforded to crime victims often involve definitions of who is considered a victim and what they must do to access services. Read through this section to better understand how to navigate policies intended to support survivors.
Illinois Policies
Here you can find a complete listing of Illinois policies related to services or supports available to crime victims. Each of these policies that enables access to services has eligibility requirements. Please use the hyperlinks available to review the eligibility requirements.