General Assistance

General assistance is a program that encourages clients to do all they can to prevent needing future assistance.  An applicant may be found ineligible to receive general assistance if they: misspend their money on items that are not considered basic necessities (this will count as money that is still available to the household and will affect the amount of eligibility); if a client forfeits a benefit, this benefit will not be replaced; if a client quits a job without just cause, they are disqualified from receiving assistance for a 120 day period.; for failing to perform or complete a workfare assignment; for willfully making a false representation about their eligibility; for not providing or permitting the administrator to gather the necessary verification and documentation as required; as well as others.

Each applicant and any member of the household who is capable of working may be required to perform work for the municipality, including work for a non-profit organization, as a condition of receiving assistance.  As part of the municipal work program, the municipality can require recipients to participate in training, education, or rehabilitative programs that will assist the recipient in securing employment.

Each applicant is responsible for providing the general assistance administrator with the information necessary to determine eligibility. This includes information verifying members of the household. Documentation of all sources of income received by the household (salary, child support, workers compensation benefits, unemployment, SSI, SSDI, social security, as well as any money received from family members, tax returns, etc.).

Additionally, applicants need to provide documentation of their expenses for basic necessities (these include housing, heat, electricity, water, sewer, food, phone when medically necessary, prescriptions, etc.) and work-related expenses (child care expenses, transportation to work).

The administrator will make a determination of eligibility based on the overall maximums allowed by the State and the municipality. Clients will receive a decision sheet showing whether or not they are eligible for assistance and what they will need to do to be eligible for future assistance. If there is a household member who is available to work, the administrator may schedule a workfare assignment which may need to be completed prior to the issuance of any assistance.

People wishing to apply for assistance should call the department to schedule an appointment.  Each person needs to complete an application in order to determine eligibility.

The town will grant assistance to eligible applicants for basic necessities according to the maximum levels for specific types of assistance.  Basic necessities include housing, heat, LP Gas, electricity, food, personal and household supplies, and other basic necessities when they are deemed essential to an applicant's or recipient's health and safety by the general administrator.