|
| | Q.
What are the eligibility criteria for the Community Solutions for Transportation Program?
|
The eligibility criteria for the Community Solutions for Transportation Program are:
- the applicant must be financially responsible for a minor child who is under the age of 18 or under the age of 19 and attending secondary school or an equivalent level of vocational or technical training, and
- the applicant must be in receipt of Family Assistance through the Department of Social Services or have income less than 200% of the poverty level, and
- the applicant must have a have a work-related transportation need.
Generally, minor-age children without children of their own are not eligible for TANF services. The best thing to do is to apply for the CST service and the program administrator will determine your eligibility.
Go to top of page
|
|
| | Q.
How would I apply for assistance such as TANF, Emergency Assistance, Emergency Housing or Medicaid and what would I need to bring?
|
You can apply for assistance by appearing at the Dutchess County Department of Social Services’ office at 60 Market Street, Poughkeepsie any morning at 8:30. You will need to complete an application for assistance. The Public Assistance division interviews that day anyone who applies between 8:30 AM and 12:00 PM. Anyone who appears after noon is asked to return the next day prior to noon. The Department keeps the application to preserve the date. If an emergency exists that cannot be met without an interview, or if the individual works or has transportation issues, the Public Assistance division will interview that individual in the afternoon. All applicants are seen on a first come first served basis unless they have a medical reason not to be able to wait.
You will need to bring the identification described in the Basic Identification section of this guide as well as proof or verification of:
- Income - both earned and unearned
- Resources - bank accounts, vehicles, trust funds, etc.
- Residence
- Household Composition
- Shelter expenses
- Fuel and/or utility expenses
- Information about any legally responsible relatives
Go to top of page
|
|
| | Q.
How can I get Public Assistance if I don’t want my parents involved?
|
If you are under the age of 21 and you are living with your parents you cannot get public assistance unless they also apply. All of their income and resources would be included in determining the eligibility of the household.
If you are under the age of 21 and living alone you cannot get public assistance unless you are willing to file a support petition against your parents. However, if the Department of Social Services’ Child Protective Services verifies that it would not be safe for you to live with or file petitions against your parents, you could receive public assistance and the Department would find you a supportive living situation until you turn 21.
Go to top of page
|
|
| | Q.
How do I get medical and dental care if I don’t have any money?
|
You can apply for Medicaid, or someone can apply for you on your behalf, at:
Dutchess County Department of Social Services
60 Market Street
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 – 10:30 AM.
You can also apply at Dutchess County Community Action Partnership. The offices are open 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday. (Closed for lunch from 12 noon to 1:00 PM). An appointment is required. Call (845) 437-0222 to schedule an appointment at a Branch office near you.
POUGHKEEPSIE
84 Cannon Street
RED HOOK
44-46 E. Market Street
DOVER PLAINS
3414 Route 22
BEACON
544 Main Street
Go to top of page
|
|
| | Q.
If I am under 21 and have a child, does it change the eligibility for the above (i.e. Medicaid) and what do I need to bring in as proof of eligibility?
|
No, however, you will have to cooperate in obtaining medical support from the child’s absent parent. You will need to furnish:
- Birth Certificate(s)
- Social Security Card(s)
- Marriage Certificate
- Divorce Papers
- Death Certificate
- Proof of income (4 weeks wages, if employed). If self employed, last income tax returns and copies of current ledgers
- Proof of resources (bank book, checking account statements, life insurance policies, stocks, bonds, etc.)
- Proof of shelter expenses (rent receipt, mortgage statement, fuel bills, electric bills, taxes, water bills, etc.)
- Proof of health insurance (policy number, amount of premium, insurance carrier, etc.)
For the new (10/02) Family Planning Benefit Program (FPBP), if an individual under 21 years of age does not have access to parental financial information or doesn’t want their parents to know about their application for this program, the Department will determine eligibility based on the child’s income. The Department of Social Services (60 Market St., Poughkeepsie, NY) will NOT require the applicant to file for Medical Support against her parents.
Go to top of page
|
|
| | Q.
If I am under 21 am I eligible to receive Medicaid?
|
Individuals under 21 are eligible to apply for Medicaid. If they are under 21 and living with their parents, their own income and their parents’ income and resources would also be taken into account. If they are NOT living with a parent only their own circumstances would be used to determine eligibility. However, they would be required to file for Medical Support against each parent.
For the new (10/02) Family Planning Benefit Program, (FPBP) if an individual under 21 years of age does not have access to parental financial information or doesn’t want their parents to know about the application for this program, the Department will determine eligibility based on the child’s income. The Department of Social Services (60 Market St., Poughkeepsie, NY) will NOT require the applicant to file for medical support against his/her parents.
Go to top of page
|
|
| | Q.
What measures are taken to prevent food stamp fraud?
|
USDA is committed to integrity in all of its nutrition assistance programs, and has put special emphasis on the Food Stamp Program because of its size and importance. However, in a program as large as the Food Stamp Program, it may be inevitable that some people will try to cheat the system.
The Department has already taken a number of steps to make it easier to catch and punish people who misuse food stamp benefits. The welfare reform act of 1996 included several provisions, originally proposed by USDA, to more closely scrutinize food retailers who apply for food stamp authorization, and to more closely monitor retailers once they are participating in the program. Retailers who violate program rules can face heavy fines, removal from the program, or jail. Individual food stamp recipients who sell their benefits can also be removed from the program.
One of the most promising developments in the fight against food stamp fraud has been the increasing use of electronic benefit transfer--EBT--to issue food stamp benefits. EBT uses a plastic card similar to a bank debit card to transfer funds from a food stamp benefits account to a retailer's account. With an EBT card, food stamp customers pay for groceries without any paper coupons changing hands. EBT eliminates paper food stamps and creates an electronic record for each transaction that makes fraud easier to detect.
Go to top of page
|
|
| | Q.
Who is the Food Stamp Program for?
|
Households must meet eligibility requirements and provide information – and verification -- about their household circumstances. U.S. citizens and some aliens who are admitted for permanent residency may qualify. The welfare reform act of 1996 ended eligibility for many legal immigrants, though Congress later restored benefits to many children and elderly immigrants, as well as some specific groups. The welfare reform act also placed time limits on benefits for unemployed, able-bodied, childless adults.
Local food stamp offices can provide information about eligibility, and USDA operates a toll-free number (800-221-5689) for people to receive information about the Food Stamp Program. Most states also have a toll free information/hotline number.
To participate in the Food Stamp Program:
- Households may have no more than $2,000 in countable resources, such as a bank account ($3,000 if at least one person in the household is age 60 or older, or is disabled). Certain resources are not counted, such as a home and lot. Special rules are used to determine the resource value of vehicles owned by household members.
- The gross monthly income of most households must be 130 percent or less of the Federal poverty guidelines ($1,698 per month for a family of three in most places, effective Oct. 1, 2004 through Sept. 30, 2005). Gross income includes all cash payments to the household, with a few exceptions specified in the law or the program regulations.
- Net monthly income must be 100 percent or less of Federal poverty guidelines ($1,306 per month for a household of three in most places, effective Oct. 1, 2004 through Sept. 30, 2005). Net income is figured by adding all of a household's gross income, and then taking a number of approved deductions for child care, some shelter costs and other expenses. Households with an elderly or disabled member are subject only to the net income test.
- Most able-bodied adult applicants must meet certain work requirements.
- All household members must provide a Social Security number or apply for one.
Federal poverty guidelines are established by the Office of Management and Budget, and are updated annually by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Go to top of page
|
|
| | Q.
If I’m under age 21 am I eligible to receive TANF, Emergency Assistance, Emergency Housing or Medicaid? How would I apply and what would I need to bring?
|
You may be eligible for TANF or Emergency Assistance. If you are under 21 and your parents are unwilling to allow you to return home and they are unable or unwilling to support while you are living on your own, the Social Services Department would require you to file a support petition against. both parents as an eligibility requirement. If your parents have been abusive in the past or you fear abuse currently, the Department’s Public Assistance unit would make a referral to Children's Services to assess your situation. If Children’s Services agrees that it would be unsafe for you to return home or file support petitions, the Department would help you locate a supportive living situation, an adult willing to take you in and provide the support needed until you are 21. You would not be eligible for TANF funds unless you were under 19 or you had a child of your own. You would however, be eligible for Safety Net assistance.
Emergency housing is available to anyone who is homeless. The Department would explore all family and community resources before placing anyone in a homeless shelter.
You would be eligible for Medicaid, but the same rules apply for filing support petitions against your parents.
Go to top of page
|
|
| | Q.
What is the Food Stamp Program for?
|
The Food Stamp Program helped put food on the table for some 10.3 million households and 23.9 million individuals each day in Fiscal Year 2004. It provides low-income households with coupons or electronic benefits they can use like cash at most grocery stores to ensure that they have access to a healthy diet. The Food Stamp Program is the cornerstone of the Federal food assistance programs, and provides crucial support to needy households and to those making the transition from welfare to work. It provided an average of $2.1 billion a month in benefits in Fiscal Year 2004.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers the Food Stamp Program at the Federal level through its Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). State agencies administer the program at State and local levels, including determination of eligibility and allotments, and distribution of benefits.
Go to top of page
|
|
| | Q.
If I stay in foster care and I am accepted into college, how will I pay for my education?
|
Foster children who are attending college generally pay for their education through government financial aid programs, education loans and scholarships. The Foster Care unit at Dutchess County Department of Social Services cannot pay for college tuition. However, case managers and foster parents can help you explore the options available to fund your education, and every college has a financial aid office whose staff can be a resource to explore options for payment. For youth who plan to attend college and live on campus, the Department of Social Services can pay room and board to the college, up to the dollar amount a foster parent would get.
Go to top of page
|
|
| | Q.
If I leave foster care am I eligible for Medicaid, financial support, or any other help?
|
When you leave foster care, you are eligible for Medicaid for 12 months after the last time your Medicaid case was re-certified. Your foster care case manager can tell you the date your Medicaid will expire, and also inform you of other options for medical coverage such as Child Health Plus or Family Health Plus. On going assistance with Medicaid, financial support through Public Assistance, Food Stamps or HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program) is based on income eligibility. This means that your income must be below certain dollar amounts to qualify. To find out if you qualify and to obtain assistance, you must fill out a Department of Social Services application form and come into the office for an interview. Applications are available at the Dutchess County Department of Social Services, 60 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601, and phone # (845) 486-3000.
Go to top of page
|
|
| | Q.
How old do you have to be to get help from Adult Protective Services? What kind of help do they provide? How does one apply for such help?
|
Adult Protective Services offers assistance to people 18 years of age and older. There are three criteria for getting assistance; the adult must have a physical or mental impairment, must have at least one or more un-met need and have no one else available to responsibly assist them in meeting the need.
Adult Protective Services offers many types of assistance including case management and advocacy services, financial management and help with housing issues.
To make a referral for Adult Protective Services, a call should be made to the Department of Social Services in the county in which the client resides. In Dutchess County the number to call is (845) 486-3300. After a referral is accepted, an assessment is completed to determine whether the client meets the eligibility criteria and requires on going assistance. Assistance may be given during the assessment period to resolve the presenting problem(s) or to connect the client to other appropriate services in the community. At the conclusion of the assessment period, which can take up to 60 days, the case will either be closed or opened for on going case management and advocacy services.
Go to top of page
|
|
| | Q.
What keeps unqualified people from getting food stamps?
|
As part of the commitment to program integrity, USDA works closely with the States to ensure that they issue their benefits correctly. State workers carefully evaluate each application to determine eligibility and the appropriate level of benefits. USDA monitors the accuracy of eligibility and benefit determinations. States that fail to meet standards for issuing their food stamp benefits correctly can be sanctioned by USDA, and those that exceed the standard for payment accuracy can be eligible for additional funding support. People who receive food stamp benefits in error must repay any benefits for which they did not qualify.
Go to top of page
|
|
| | Q.
How is each household's food stamp allotment determined?
|
Eligible households are issued a monthly allotment of food stamps based on the Thrifty Food Plan, a low-cost model diet plan. The TFP is based on National Academy of Sciences’ Recommended Dietary Allowances, and on food choices of low-income households.
An individual household's food stamp allotment is equal to the maximum allotment for that household's size, less 30 percent of the household's net income. Households with no countable income receive the maximum allotment ($393 per month in Fiscal Year 2005 for a household of three people). Allotment levels are higher for Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands, reflecting higher food prices in those areas.
Go to top of page
|
|
Printable version
