Illinois Legal Aid Online Annual Report FY22

The future of justice begins with… Hope and help

Case Study: DEBT STRESS

Although ‘debtors prison’ has been illegal in Illinois since 2013, rising interest rates, inflation, and supply chain issues have increased the amount and percentage of debt owed by millions of Illinoisans. Credit reporting agencies note that the average credit card debt for an American adult is around $5300.

In the last 4 months of FY22, the numbers of people seeking ILAO’s help with debt- related issues increased nearly 60%, from 18,500 to 29,000. Demand for the Spanish-language version of Can you go to jail for unpaid debt? increased more than 300% during this period, from 2,300 to over 10,000 people.

“Thank you guys again for having this service available for the public, FOR FREE. It was such a big big help to me.”

ILAO HELPED 60% MORE PEOPLE WITH DEBT ISSUES IN FY22, COMPARED TO THE PRIOR YEAR

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Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) • IllinoisLegalAid.org

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