Persons with Disabilities Exemption | Cook County Assessor's Office

A Person with Disabilities Exemption is for persons with disabilities and provides an annual $2,000 reduction in the equalized assessed value (EAV) of the property. This exemption usually requires annual renewal but will be auto-renewed this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Automatic Renewal: Yes, for tax year 2020 only, this exemption will automatically renew.

How can a homeowner see which exemptions were applied to their home last year?
Check the Cook County Portal website, then review the Exemption History and Status section.

? Reminder: Exemptions appear on your second installment tax bill issued in the summer. To learn more about how the property tax system works, click here.

Eligibility

Disabled or become disabled during the 2020 tax year.
Either own or have a legal or equitable interest in the property, or a leasehold interest of a single-family residence.
Liable for the payment of property taxes.
Occupy the property as the principal residence on January 1, 2020.

If a person's home previously received this exemption (which in prior years, was known as the Disabled Persons Homeowner Exemption) and the taxpayer now resides in a facility licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act, their home is still eligible to receive this exemption under the following conditions.

The property is occupied by that person's spouse, or the property remains unoccupied.

Documentation Required to Apply

1. One of the following documents is required.

Class 2 Disabled Person Illinois Identification Card from the Illinois Secretary of State's Office.
Proof of Social Security Administration disability benefits. This proof includes an award letter, verification letter, or annual cost of living adjustment.
Proof of Veterans' Administration disability benefits. This proof includes an award letter of total (100%) disability, pension statement, or statement showing compensation rated at 100%.
Proof of Railroad or Civil Service disability benefits is an award letter of total (100%) disability.

If a taxpayer can not provide proof with one of the items listed above they will need to submit the Illinois Department of Revenue's Form PTAX 343-A Physician's Statement of Proof of a Disability. The taxpayer may also be required to be re-examined by an IDOR designated physician.

2. Proof of Identity and occupancy in 2020.

You may supply an Illinois Drivers License / ID Card, Matrícula Consular ID, or City of Chicago ID Card. The name and property address must verify the application. The date of issue must verify that you occupied this property in or before 2020.
Or: you can supply one document from List B and one from List C and an Occupancy Affidavit (included in the application):

List B: Photo IDs that verify identity and date of birth
• Illinois Drivers License / ID Card
• Matrícula Consular ID
• City of Chicago ID Card
• Passport
• Certificate of Naturalization (N-550/N-570)
• Permanent Resident Card (I-551)
• Refugee Travel Document (I-571)
• Employment Authorization Card (I-766)

List C: Documents that verify 2019 occupancy
• Mailed bank statement
• Mailed landline, cable, or internet bill
• Mailed pay stub or Social Security Award letter
• Voting record from 2020 (from Cook County Clerk’s office or Chicago Board of Elections)

Please Note: This exemption cannot be received with the Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I apply for a Persons with Disabilities Exemption?
Annual applications are ordinarily required for Persons with Disabilities recipients and the Assessor’s Office sends renewal forms in the mail early February. Renewal applications will not be required this year, however, as the Illinois state legislature added one-year auto-renewals to support homeowners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Any eligible homeowner who received the Senior Freeze, Persons with Disabilities, or Veterans with Disabilities Exemptions in tax year 2019 (issued in 2020) will have these exemptions automatically renewed in tax year 2020.

How do I apply for prior tax years?
If you were eligible for the exemption in a prior Tax Year but the exemption was not on your bill, you can apply for a refund or corrected bill by filing for a certificate of error.

A complete application requires supporting documents (listed above) and your home's PIN. How do I find my PIN?
Avoid these common application errors in your application.

+ Frequently Asked Questions

Missing Property Tax Exemptions? Homeowners can apply for Certificates of Error(s)

The regular application filing period is now closed however, if your home was eligible for the Persons with Disabilities Exemption in tax years 2020, 2019, 2018, or 2017 and the exemption was not applied to your property tax bill, the Assessor’s Office can help you obtain a refund through what is called a Certificate of Error.

Certificate of Error applications for tax years 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017 can be filed now by clicking the links below. As a reminder, it is recommended to apply online so that the application can be easily tracked and our representatives can provide status updates.

Apply Online

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