Scott County, Iowa

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General Assistance Program
Eligibility

  1. Comparison of the client's circumstances with the eligibility standards set forth in these policies, determination of the client's unmet needs and the appropriateness of general assistance in meeting these needs.
  2. Development of a plan for self-support that fully utilizes client's available resources, excluding exempt property.
  3. Home visits may be made as necessary in order to establish and maintain eligibility. Such home visits will be made only after a client has been notified at least 24 hours in advance, unless waived.

General assistance shall be denied or discontinued under the following circumstances

Applicants who have applied for or are receiving state or federal assistance are not eligible for assistance except under the following conditions

Eligibility Standards

  1. Residence

Recipients must reside in Scott County. The following exceptions are allowed:

  1. Recipients who have no legal residence elsewhere.
  2. Recipients presumed to have legal residence elsewhere, pending verification of such residence. Expenditures for persons having settlement elsewhere will be billed to county of legal residence as specified in Chapter 252 of the Iowa Code.
  3. Applicants who are eligible for assistance from an Illinois township must accept that assistance and maintain their Illinois residence.

Residence Determination

  1. Applicants have Scott County residence if they live in the county with the intent to remain in Scott County.
  2. If eligible out-of-county applicants are willing to return to their place of residence, the case aide will authorize a travel allowance (including food and lodging if appropriate) for return to county of residence.

Income

  1. For the purpose of determining income, the prevailing definition of a household under the Food Stamp, ADC and SSI programs will be utilized.
  2. For single individuals, income guidelines shall be $300.00 per month. Those who exceed guidelines are not eligible. (see chart below)
  3. For individuals or couples with children, income guidelines are identical to federal ADC programs. Those who exceed guidelines are not eligible.

Income Guidelines Chart

Household Size 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Monthly Dollar Income 300 361 426 495 548 610 670 731 791 865

Each additional person: $87

Persons with income at or above the income guidelines are normally not eligible. However, if there are extenuating circumstances that affected their income, they may qualify. As noted, everyone has a right to apply.

Employment

a. Clients must register for work with the Iowa Department of Job Service.

b. Each recipient shall have an employability plan developed jointly with the case aide. The plan shall specify the client's activities with regard to becoming self-supporting, including: types of employment search; identification of barriers to client employment and training needs to be addressed through the Work Readiness program.

c. Clients must be available for and actively seek work and accept work when offered. Persons are considered to be unavailable when handicapping conditions prevent self-support, including:

Persons unable to work due to old age, physical or mental illness, or physical handicap. (Physician's verification required).

Persons who are needed to care for a dependent or incapacitated relative.

d. Case aides have responsibility for determining whether or not an applicant is considered employable. This determination shall be made from information obtained from physicians and employment specialists.

e. The following areas will be considered in determining gainful employment:

Physical and mental fitness of client.

Distance of available work from the individual's residence.

f. Recipients must be willing to participate in the Scott County Work Readiness program unless they are considered unavailable for employment as specified in the Eligibility Standards above.

g. Those individuals who had previously received a Social Security benefit due to a substance abuse diagnosis, and have become ineligible for that benefit due to Welfare Reform legislation, shall be required to participate and cooperate in receiving a substance abuse evaluation and must follow through with all treatment recommendations in order to be considered eligible for general assistance.

Resources

a. Resources limitations shall be based upon ADC limitations. Specifically, the resource limitation shall be $1000 per household. The following resources are exempt when determining the limitation:

  1. A homestead
  2. Household goods and personal effects
  3. An equity not to exceed $1500 on one motor vehicle
  4. Life insurance which has no cash surrender value
  5. An equity not to exceed $1500 in one funeral contract or burial trust for each member of the household

When the value of one or more of these items exceeds the specified amount, the excess must be counted toward the resources limitations; any resources not specifically exempt shall be counted toward resource limitations.

b. Clients must utilize their liquid assets including: cash on hand, money in savings or checking account, stocks, bonds and savings certificates (including IRA's).

Agreement to reimburse

a. all recipients of general assistance, their available spouse, and/or parents of recipient who is a minor child shall agree to reimburse for assistance granted. Recovery efforts shall not be initiated until the recipient is able, and must commence within two years after the recipient becomes able (252.13 - 252.14 of Iowa Code).

b. The homestead of general assistance recipients shall be liable for such expenditures at the time of the recipient's death only if there is not a surviving wife or child as specified in Iowa Code 252.14

6. General assistance shall be denied or discontinued under the following circumstances:

a. Client is not eligible if resources are available to client to meet his needs at the general assistance standard.

b. Client refuses to rely on his own resources.

c. If there is a transfer of property or other assets within one (1) year with the intent to qualify for general assistance or there is a refusal to complete and sign a Deed of Trust on client-owned property.

d. Client refuses to cooperate in providing required information or refuses to participate in a work program or refuses to register for employment as specified in II.C(3).

e. Client refuses to participate in or is uncooperative with the Work Readiness program.

f. Client fails to adhere to an established employability plan.

g. Client knowingly provides false information on an application for general assistance, or provides false information to the case aide during the determination of the applicant's eligibility for relief.

h. The Director determines that a client has made no effort to repay previous grants when an applicant has the ability or means to do so. General assistance cannot be denied solely due to failure to repay a previous grant.

i. Client or client household, through action or inaction, has created an ineligibility for assistance or a reduced level of assistance from any federal/state financial assistance programs, which would, absence the client's action or inaction, provide financial assistance at or in excess of general assistance guidelines

7. Applicants who have applied for or are receiving state or federal assistance are not eligible for assistance except under the following conditions:

a. Clients who have applied for presumptive payment may receive assistance until such time that said aid or other assistance becomes available.

b. Clients awaiting initial payment from a government financed program following determination of eligibility shall be eligible for general assistance if need exists and if immediate payment from the other program cannot be arranged.

c. Clients who are now receiving aid from another program (non-profit, county, state or federal) but who have unmet emergency needs (as defined in these guidelines) may receive general assistance in the amount necessary to meet the emergency need if otherwise eligible.

d. Clients with active SSI applications must assign interim assistance reimbursement to Scott County as a condition of eligibility.