Ted, a 45-year-old Chicago resident, suffers from severe mental illness, which makes maintaining a steady job difficult. For months, Ted worked with Kate, an attorney at the Legal Council for Health Justice, to get approved for Social Security Disability benefits.

However, just days after getting finally approved, Illinois instituted its shelter-in-place order.  As a result, Ted couldn’t meet with a Social Security Administration (SSA) officer in-person, and he didn’t have minutes on his phone plan to call the office.

So Kate found a creative solution – she texted Ted to confirm his information and answer questions about next steps, all while on the phone with an SSA representative.

Ted’s story shows how people without a phone or computer struggle to get the services they need to stay healthy and safe.  That’s why our grantees like the Legal Council for Health Justice work around the clock to help Illinoisans like Ted overcome these new challenges.