Eligibility

The Veterans Assistance Program provides emergency assistance for Lake County veterans and families of veterans.  It is not designed to be an on-going financial program over any considerable length of time. Assistance is provided in accordance with Illinois Military Veterans Assistance Act (330 ILCS Sec 45/2) and the Illinois Public Aid Code (305 ILCS Sec 3.16).

To be eligible for assistance from the VAC, the veteran must have served at least 1 day during war time (during the following dates) and received an honorable discharge: 
War Period of Time
World War I
 April 6, 1917 - November 11, 1918
World War II
 December 7, 1941 - December 31, 1946
Korean Conflict
 June 27, 1950 - January 31, 1955
Vietnam Conflict
 August 5, 1964 - May 7, 1975
Persian Gulf Conflict
 August 2, 1990 - November 30, 1995
Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts
 September 11, 2001 - Ongoing
Peace Time
 Must have served 2 years (24 months) of active duty and most recently issued an honorable discharge.
Some types of assistance have more specific rules for eligibility. Please see the Assistance page for more information.