Welch, House Democrats Working to Cut Vehicle Sticker Costs for Seniors, People with Disabilities
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and House Democrats are cutting costs for seniors and vulnerable residents with a new bill expanding a vehicle sticker discount for older adults and individuals with disabilities.
“Incomes that can’t keep up with cost of living are driving the affordability crisis, but access to the resources that seniors and people with disabilities need can keep up—and they must,” Welch said. “House Democrats are taking a multifaceted approach to building communities we can all afford. That starts by ensuring no one is kicked off the Benefit Access Program because of inflation, and it continues by expanding access to those resources going forward.”
Illinois’ Benefit Access Program reduces annual vehicle registration costs for senior citizens and individuals who have a disability based on their incomes. But inflation has meant that seniors receiving Social Security and other individuals on disability may be priced out of the program.
Speaker Welch and Rep. Rick Ryan are working to protect access to these discounts and also expand eligibility with House Bill 4157, which raises the income threshold. Their bill ensures an individual with an income of less than $33,562 or a household of two making less than $44,533 would now qualify for savings. In coming years, income thresholds will also be tied to the cost of living, ensuring no one loses access due to inflation.
“This is an excellent program that makes registering your vehicle more affordable, and we want to make sure that the people who need it can be served by it,” Ryan said. “No one should have to go without these critical resources because they’re making too much money on paper while still being very much in need of these services.”
