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Applications for Food Stamps, Maine Care, and T.A.N.F.
Wednesday - 9:00 A.M. to Noon
General Information
| General Assistance Director |
Mary Reindl |
| Administrative Assistant |
Judy Hardy Goddard |
| Office Hours |
Monday through Friday by appointment |
| Office Telephone |
207-725-6661 |
| Emergency During Non-Business Hours |
207-725-5521 |
| Fax |
207-725-6636 |
| Mailing Address |
54 Cumberland St. Brunswick, ME 04011 |
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Overview of Services:
The General Assistance Program assists residents of Brunswick with basic
necessities, such as:
This program continues to be a safety net for the most needy.
General Assistance has developed into a program that makes recipients
more accountable and encourages self-reliance. A person applying for
this assistance is required to utilize all available resources, i.e.
TANF, food stamps, Medicaid, fuel assistance, subsidized daycare, etc.
With overall maximum levels of assistance being quite low, it is
critical to network with local and area resources to access all
available assistance. Brunswick is fortunate to have a variety of
dedicated service providers who work together to offer services to
Brunswick residents, including Brunswick Community Services, local
clergy, school personnel, senior citizen representatives, mental
health professionals and police personnel.
Assistance is also offered with completing Maine State Property Tax and Rent
Refund forms. This program includes the Low Cost Elderly Drug Card. Forms
for this program are available at the Town Office and the application must
be completed and submitted by January 31st.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
How can I apply for general assistance?
What do I need to do to qualify for general assistance?
What can general assistance assist with?
Can the town help me to secure housing?
What is workfare?
What do I need to do to be eligible for future assistance?
What would cause me to be ineligible or disqualified from the program?
How often can I apply for assistance?
What if I disagree with the decision of the administrator?
How can I apply for general assistance?
People wishing to apply for assistance should call the department to schedule
an appointment Each person needs to complete an application in order to determine
eligibility.
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What do I need to do to qualify for general assistance?
Each applicant is responsible for providing the general assistance
administrator with information necessary to determine eligibility.
This includes information verifying members of the household.
documentation of all sources of income received by the household
(salary, child support, workers compensation benefits, unemployment,
SSI, SSDI, social security, as well as any money received from family
members, tax returns, etc.). Additionally, applicants need to provide
documentation of their expenses for basic necessities (these include
housing, heat, electricity, water, sewer, food, phone when medically
necessary, prescriptions, etc.) and work related expenses (child care
expenses, transportation to work). The administrator will make a
determination of eligibility based on the overall maximums allowed by
the State and the municipality. Clients will receive a decision sheet
showing whether or not they are eligible for assistance and what they
will need to do to be eligible for future assistance. If there is a
household member who is available to work, the administrator will
schedule a workfare assignment which may need to be completed prior to
the issuance of any assistance.
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What can general assistance assist with?
The town will grant assistance to eligible applicants for basic necessities
according to the maximum levels for specific types of assistance. Basic
necessities include housing, heat, LP Gas, electricity, food, personal and household supplies, and other basic necessities when they are deemed
essential to an applicant's or recipient's health and safety by the general
administrator.
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Can the town help me to secure housing?
The town does not own any housing of its own but usually recommends that
those interested in affordable housing contact the Brunswick Housing
Authority (725-8711) and Bath Housing Authority (443-3116) as well as checking the local papers.
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What is workfare?
Each applicant and any member of the household who is capable of working
may be required to perform work for the municipality, including work for
a non-profit organization, as a condition of receiving assistance. As part
of the municipal work program, the municipality can require recipients to
participate in training, education, or rehabilitative programs that will
assist the recipient in securing employment.
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What do I need to do to be eligible for future assistance?
At the time an applicant receives a decision on their application, the
administrator will inform them of their responsibilities for being eligible
in the future. Once applying for general assistance all clients, regardless
of whether or not they received any benefits, are responsible for showing
that they have done all they can to prevent needing general assistance again.
This includes providing documentation (receipts) of all their spending over
the past thirty days (or longer if they are seeking assistance with back
due bills). Again, the amount of income from all sources received by the
household must be provided. Additionally, the applicant must show that they
have utilized all potential resources the administrator referred them to.
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What would cause me to be ineligible or disqualified from the program?
General assistance is a program that encourages clients to do all they can
to prevent needing future assistance. An applicant may be found ineligible
to receive general assistance if they: misspend their money on items that
are not considered basic necessities (this will count as money that is still
available to the household and will affect the amount of eligibility); if
a client forfeits a benefit, this benefit will not be replaced; if a client
quits a job without just cause, they are disqualified from receiving assistance
for a 120 day period.; for failing to perform or complete a workfare assignment;
for willfully making a false representation about their eligibility; for
not providing or permitting the administrator to gather the necessary
verification and documentation as required; as well as others.
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How often can I apply for assistance?
Generally, general assistance is determined for a one to thirty day period only.
If an applicant needs to apply for general assistance again, they are responsible
for making sure they have met the requirements of the program for eligibility.
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What if I disagree with the decision of the administrator?
If you disagree with the decision, applicants should discuss the matter with
the administrator. All applicants have the right to request a Fair Hearing
which would provide the applicant with a Board composed of individuals not
involved in the decision to decide whether you are eligible for assistance.
If you would like a Fair Hearing, you must request a hearing in writing within
5 working days of when you receive your decision.
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