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If an applicant's earned or unearned income is not being utilized to pay for basic needs prior to paying for luxury or non-essential items, the General Assistance staff will refer the applicant for either budget counseling, or in the case of State or Federal payments, report to the issuing agency that the monthly payment may be inappropriately utilized and request that they follow their established policies to correct the problem.
A person must be 18 years of age or a family member residing in the household of an applicant who is at least 18 years old to receive General Assistance. The only exception to this policy is those persons, under age 18, who have reached their majority due to marriage. Any applicant under the age of 18 will be referred to the Department of Human Services for an assessment.
General Assistance will be granted in accordance with a verified need with each applicant, recipient, or family, as set forth in this section. Married and unmarried couples living together as a family must both be included in the application process and interview, or assistance will be prorated as a single person applicant.
The maximum assistance that a household can receive in a 12-month period for rent or utilities is as follows:
General Assistance does NOT assist with rental or utility deposits, first month's rent, phone bills, cable bills, mortgage payments, storage space rental, gasoline vouchers, propane/fuel tank rental, dental bills, medical bills, eyeglasses or late fees on rent or utilities.