General Assistance $ from State may be ending

With the recent finalization of the state budget it has been learned/confirmed the cash assistance category known as “General Assistance” will no longer be funded.

Effective July 1, 2012, without any advance written notice, 1,776 residents of DelCo will no longer be receiving a cash assistance benefit. 

After the first of the month recipients will attempt to withdraw their first of two monthly cash assistance payments from their EBT accounts and discover their cash assistance balance is zero. 

General Assistance is entirely state funded. Recipients of General Assistance include individuals who are one of the following:

o       Temporarily or permanently disabled (usually w/ SSI applications pending)

o       Undergoing drug and alcohol treatment that precludes employment

o       Children under the age of 21 not eligible for TANF

o       In a two parent household w/ children under 13 or 13 and older w/ a disability

o       Non parental caretakers of children under 13 or 13 and older w/ a disability

o       Pregnant woman not eligible for TANF

o       Victim of domestic violence

These individuals’ eligibility for Medical Assistance (Medicaid) and Food Stamps (SNAP) will not be effected by the decision to defund General Assistance.

FYI, the number of General Assistance recipients losing their cash benefits in the other counties LASP serves is Bucks 1,046; Chester 770; and Montgomery 1,423.

from an email received...