Legal Assistance Available To Seniors
Under Title III of the Older Americans Act, it is mandated that each Area Agency on Aging have a Legal Assistance Program separate and apart from other services or programs. Low-income minority individuals over age 60 with the greatest social or economic need receive particular attention.
Call New Jersey EASE at 877-222-3737. To find your local New Jersey EASE office, also known as an Area Agency on Aging (AAA) or County Office on Aging, click here.
Filing a Charge
Charges of unlawful discrimination due to age must be filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). If you feel as if you have been victimaized by age discriminated you should file a complaint as soon as possible as there are strict time limits to hearing a claim of this nature.
Here is what you need to do:
- First, you must file a charge within 180 days of the discriminatory act. State laws may extend this 180-day filing deadline to 300 days.
- Second, you should also attempt to file a timely charge under applicable state law. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) NJ office is located at 1 Newark Center, 21st Floor, Newark, NJ 07102, telephone 973-645-6383. For information about federal laws on job discrimination, call EEOC's toll-free number, 1-800-669-4000, or visit their website.
- Complaints of age discrimination may also be filed with the Division on Civil Rights, NJ Department of Law & Public Safety, PO Box 090, Trenton, NJ 08625-0090, telephone 609-292-4605.
Pick up the phone and dial 2-1-1 when you need help.
You are encouraged to dial “2-1-1” 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need help in understanding and finding available assistance services. Language translation and TTY services are offered to any caller. You can also
search the database of services in your local community or Chat Live with an experienced community resource specialist. 2-1-1 will help identify with you the best local resources to fit your individual needs during times of financial distress or for life’s everyday situations.
If you know of additional resources that would be appropriate to include, please let us know by contacting us via e-mail at info@nj211.org.
Research Sources Included
http://www.state.nj.us/health/senior/federalbenefits/legal.shtml
Page last modified 10.5.09
