Welfare Services is a multifaceted service providing assistance to qualified Township resident.

Our Mission

To improve the welfare of needy residents; to serve them promptly with dignity and with fairness.

General Assistance

General Assistance in Hanover Township is a locally administered welfare program which provides monthly financial assistance to persons who are not eligible for any other state or federal assistance programs, and who do not have adequate income or resources to provide for their own basic needs.
Hanover Township and all townships in Illinois are statutorily mandated by the legislature to levy taxes and administer general assistance for destitute township residents.
Any township resident, 18 yrs. or older, who is either a U.S. resident or legal alien admitted under color-of-law, is eligible. The General Assistance Program is primarily for those adults without minor children, without adequate income, and ineligible for any other monetary form of assistance.
Please call 630.837.0301 or 630.540.9085 for an appointment.

Click here for an application.

Emergency Assistance

Emergency Assistance provides for residents in life-threatening situations who have no income for 30 days. Residents can only qualify once every 18 months.

Access to Care is a non-profit primary healthcare program for low-income, uninsured residents of Suburban Cook County and Northwest Chicago. To be eligible to join the program a person must:

1. Live in Suburban Cook County or the Chicago demonstrated area;
2. Have a family income under 150% of the federal poverty level; and
3. Be ineligible for Medicare, Medicaid, All Kids Program and have no private health insurance.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is designed to assist eligible low-income households pay for winter emergency services.
LIHEAP will provide for a one-time benefit to eligible households to be used for energy bills. The amount of the payment is determined by income, household size, fuel type and geographic location.
Emergency Assistance may be available if your household is disconnected from any emergency source needed for heating and/or a delivered fuel supplier who has refused to deliver and the tank contains 10% or less.
Assistance for reconnection will only be provided to households that have made a good faith effort to maintain their energy services or can pay a portion of the amount owed for reconnection.

Weatherization
CEDA's Weatherization Program focuses on making homes safer and more energy-efficient for qualifying low-income residents in the city of Chicago and suburban Cook County. Repairing or replacing older furnaces, installing heatsaving insulation and sealing bypasses to conserve energy are often the means used to keep homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. The Weatherization Program also strives to make homes safer by installing smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers, as well as repairing gas lines within the home. This service is available to qualifying homeowners and renters who apply at local intake sites. If a rental unit is being weatherized, the landlord must pay for half of the repair costs unless she/he meets certain qualifications.

Eligibility Requirements: To be eligible for the weatherization program, participants must reside in Cook County and be at 150% of the poverty level. Special emphasis is given to families with children under the age of five, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.

In cooperation with the Red Cross, the Township assists victims with food and relocation.

Hanover Township's year-round priority in our General Assistance area is to keep the Food Pantry well-stocked. The Food Pantry is open to Hanover Township residents who are experiencing financial hardships. The Pantry provides food for emergencies that arise. Food is provided by a very caring and generous community.

Donations of food and funds are always needed on a regular basis.

Food Pantry hours are as follows:
     Monday: Closed
     Tuesday : 11:00am - 3:00pm
     Wednesday: 11:00am to 6:00 pm
     Thursday: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
     Friday: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
     Saturday: 9:00 am - 11:30 am
(Hours are subject to change at any time.)

Service Extension Units are organized by villages and a family or individual who resides in a community and is served by the Service Extension unit. Volunteers interview families and individuals requesting assistance. They assess the needs and develop a Service Plan with the family or individual. They collaborate with community agencies in implementing the Plan and make referrals as part of the Service Plan.
This program is funded by the Tri-Village United Way and helps people who do not qualify for financial help through Township programs. Residents can only qualify once every 12 months.

Hanover Township has established a strong networking relationship with many other Suburban Cook County Agencies. Therefore, our Welfare Services Department works extensively with all individuals to see that they are given every resource above and beyond our referral program to assist them in their individual situations.