Auxiliary Grants
This program offers benefits to help pay for housing as a supplement to the recipient's income. Auxiliary grants are offered to
city residents who are age 65 or over, or blind, disabled and living in a licensed home for adults. Grant recipients also receive
a personal needs allowance and full Medicaid coverage.
The Auxiliary Grant program works closely with the Adult Stabilization services.
Emergency Assistance
Emergency Assistance (EA) provides short-term, limited financial assistance to individuals and families with children when a fire or other natural disaster has destroyed those things necessary for taking care of the household. EA may also be available to assist in a housing emergency if the person had no control over the circumstances.
Emergency Assistance payments can be made for shelter (for example rent, utilities, moving costs), or the repair or replacement of essential household items. The amount of assistance cannot be more than $500 in any 12-month period.
Energy Assistance -- Fuel, Crisis, Cooling
The Energy Assistance Program assists low-income households that pay a high proportion of household income for home energy. The
program consists of three components.
- Fuel Assistance
- Crisis Assistance
- Cooling Assistance
Fuel Assistance
Fuel Assistance helps eligible households with the costs of heating their homes.
To be eligible for fuel assistance, there are income guidelines, resource maximums and living arrangements that must be met. The
household must also be responsible for paying the heating bill.
Fuel Assistance applications are accepted from the second
Tuesday in October through the second Friday in November at the Department of Social Services. Fuel Assistance applications are
processed as soon as possible and applicants should expect notification of their eligibility determination by mid-December.
Crisis Assistance
Crisis Assistance helps eligible households in emergency energy situations, which cannot be met by Fuel Assistance or other
resources.
Types of crisis assistance may include: cost to repair or replace heating equipment. To be eligible for crisis assistance, fuel
eligibility criteria must be met, and there must be a heating emergency. Crisis Assistance applications are accepted from
November 1 through March 15 at the Department of Social Services. All crisis assistance is based on availability of funds.
Cooling Assistance
Cooling Assistance applications are accepted at the Department of Social Services from June 15 through August 15 to help
eligible households with their cooling needs.
To be eligible for any type of Cooling Assistance, fuel assistance eligibility criteria must be met, the household must contain
at least one vulnerable person and there must be a cooling need. The following types of assistance are available if eligibility
conditions are met: purchase of a portable or installed fan, purchase and installation of an air conditioner, payment of an
electric utility security deposit, or payment of the electric bill to operate the cooling equipment.
Fraud
The Fraud team investigates reports concerning welfare fraud committed by recipients of benefits. Reports are received from
citizens, social services staff, and other community partners. The information obtained may be used by the Commonwealth's
Attorney for prosecution. Fraud staff determines the amount of benefits to which the recipient was not entitled and seeks
collections to reimburse the agency for improperly received benefits.
Initiative for Employment
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families(TANF) /
Virginia Initiative for Employment, not Welfare (VIEW)
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Virginia Initiative for Employment, not Welfare (VIEW) provides temporary
financial assistance and employment-related services to enable families with children to become self-supporting. The family
receives a monthly cash payment to meet their basic needs and child care assistance for children under age 13. TANF/VIEW seeks
to ends dependency on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and family stability. TANF also encourages the
formation and maintenance of two-parent families, thus reducing the incidence of pregnancy outside of marriage. To be eligible,
the family must be financially needy and pass the income screenings.
To apply for TANF
VIEW Employment Assistance
Individuals enrolled in VIEW will receive assistance from a caseworker in the Employment Service program to assess and reassess
the barriers that keep them from employment. They provide supportive services such as job and skills training, day care
assistance, transportation assistance, counseling, education assistance and referrals to help move customers toward
self-sufficiency. Staff will also determine a client's continuing need for public assistance programs such as Medicaid, food
stamps and TANF. Adults age 18 and over who are TANF eligible and able-bodied, and parents are eligible to participate in
employment assistance services.
Employment Assistance/SNAPET
The goal of the employment assistance program for food stamps recipients, SNAPET (formerly known as FSET) is to provide
opportunities for job search and job training to become no longer dependent on food stamps. The program is open to individuals
who are not also receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). At this time, the program targets single adults
living alone. Registrants are referred to the FSET program at the time of food stamp application, reapplication and every 12
months thereafter unless a change occurs that affects exemption status.
Clients in the program may participate in a job search, job readiness training, and/or unpaid work experience, which may serve
to make them more employable. Supportive services may include child day care, transportation, and medical/dental services.
