Transition: Finance Resources
DSCC’s Money Management Skills Tip Sheet
As you begin to transition to adulthood, you can begin to manage (or co-manage) your money. The Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) created this Money Management Skills Tip Sheet to help youth with special healthcare needs learn about managing money, budgeting and setting up credit as they transition to adulthood.
DuPage County Transition Planning Committee
The DuPage County Transition Planning Committee is a group composed of representatives from the local special education co-ops, school districts, Department of Human Services-Division of Rehabilitation Services office, adult service providers, vocational coordinators, representatives of the business community, parents and clients. The committee meets to network, educate, learn, share and support services for individuals with disabilitiesThe Arc’s Center for Future Planning provides these free resources and steps to successfully make a financial plan.
Financial Planning for Parents of Children With Disabilities
The PACER Center offers “A Financial Resource for Parents of Children With Disabilities” to help you plan for your child’s financial future and overall well-being. This resource helps walk you through getting organized, life and disability insurance and various aspects of planning for you and your child.
From PUNS Enrollment to DD Waiver Services Flowchart
The Arc of Illinois’ Ligas Family Advocate Program (LFAP) provides information and outreach to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families who are selected from the PUNS (Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services) or notified in advance of a future PUNS selection.
LFAP’s resources include a “Finding Your Way” flowchart roadmap that outlines the steps from PUNS enrollment to developmental disability waiver services.
Future Financial Planning for People With Disabilities Video Series – ABLE and Special Needs Trusts
The Arc’s Center for Future Planning provides a series of videos to help you save money and protect public benefits. Video topics include ABLE accounts and special needs trusts. Each video overs:
- The benefits of each resource
- How they work
- What they can pay for
- How to get started
The HealthWell Foundation aims to reduce financial barriers to care for underinsured patients with chronic or life-altering diseases. It provides financial assistance to eligible individuals to cover copays, health care premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses.
Illinois ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) accounts make it possible for people with disabilities and their families to save and invest for expenses related to living with a disability without losing, or losing access to, federal means-tested benefits such as SSI, SSDI and Medicaid. Earnings and withdrawals are tax-free if they are spent on a broad range of qualified disability expenses including housing, health and wellness, education and training, therapy, basic living expenses and more.
Illinois Disability Benefits 101
Illinois Disability Benefits 101 is a free, user-friendly, Illinois-specific website that helps work through the myths and confusion of Social Security benefits, health care, employment and more. It is a one-stop shop for information, resources, and tools to motivate and support employment and community inclusion for individuals with disabilities, their families and professionals.
Illinois Financial Wellness Hub
The Illinois Financial Wellness Hub (FinWell Hub) provides free resources to help all Illinois residents plan a better financial future. The site offers a wide variety of tools and courses to help you create a learning experience tailored to your needs.
Topics include:
- Saving for an emergency
- Retirement planning
- Planning for a child’s education
- Managing debt
- Buying a home
- Estate planning
- Social Security
- Investing and more