There are three (3) rules of thumb
concerning township assistance:
- Apply within the township where you live.
- Be in need of essentials of life.
- Be willing to help yourself as much as possible.
How is Need Determined?
A person or family is in need if there is not enough
income or resources to provide the basic necessities of life.
Necessities of life include food, shelter, utilities, medical,
household supplies, clothing and other basic needs.
Individual qualification is determined by the trustee or staff
based upon written standards adopted by the township.
Can I get Trustee Assistance More Than Once?
Yes, however, by law trustee assistance is short-term.
Trustee's assistance can continue as long as your needs exist IF
you continue to try to help yourself by seeking employment
and/or other forms of assistance.
How Do I Apply For Township Assistance?
Fill out an application and drop it off at the trustee's
office. If no one is in, place the application in the
mailbox inside the township offices. You will be contacted to setup a meeting with
the trustee.
You must be interviewed after you have filled out the
application form. The application is a legal affidavit and you
must state your situation as accurately and completely as you
can. Applications are signed by the head of the household. There
are criminal penalties for deliberately giving false
information.What Should I Bring In When I Come To Apply?
You should bring any papers which help explain you
situation. For example, your rent or house payment receipt will
show where you live, how much your rent or house payment is, to
whom you make your payments, etc. You should also bring receipts
for any money you have spent for at least the past thirty (30)
days. This will help show how you have spent your money.
To show what your income has been, bring check stubs or
statements from any person or agency helping you. Bringing as
much proof as you can about your situation can help speed up the
application process. The trustee, by law, may request your
permission to verify (by phone or mail) any information you give
during your application.
If you are asking for help with utilities, bring the latest
bills with you. If you are presently receiving AFDC, bring the
most recent Certificate of Action from your caseworker.
The trustee may require additional documentation depending on an
individual's situation.
What Happens after the Application?
If you have an immediate need, such as food or
prescriptions, the trustee can give help the same day. In some
situations, it will be necessary to make a home visits before
assistance can be granted. You may be asked to bring in
additional information before a decision can be made. In most
cases, a determination can be made within three (3) business
days, not including weekends or holidays.
If the trustee determines you are not eligible for assistance at
this point, you will be given a "Notice of Township
Assistance Action"
which is a statement of the decision and the reason for it.
What if The Trustee Denies Assistance?
You can appeal within fifteen (15) days. The "Notice of
Township Assistance Action", which gives the reasons you were denied,
also tells you how to appeal with the County Commissioners. The
Board of County Commissioners will set a time to hear your side
of the story and the trustee's and then make a decision. They
are bound to use the same set of guidelines that a trustee does,
You can bring documents and witnesses to the hearing to help
prove your case. You can be represented by legal counsel or
anyone.
What Kind of Assistance Can The Trustee Provide?
Specifically, the trustee can meet the following basic needs:
- Clothing
- necessary for employment, school, or ordinary decency.
- Food
for not receiving food stamps. The trustee will not
supplement food stamps except in specific emergencies:
theft, spoilage, health needs.
- Household Supplies
- cleaning and hygiene items.
- Medical Assistance
- not otherwise provided by insurance, clinics and HCI.
- Shelter
- rental payments not exceed established schedule (if
specified in the poor relief standards). The landlord or
property owner does not have to accept trustee payment. The
trustee will not pay for housing that is unfit. The trustee
can assist in emergency relocation.
- Utilities
- bill in the current name of the applicant for the
current residence. Apply for utility assistance as soon as
you realize you are unable to pay your bills - do not wait
until the bills are delinquent or service is disconnected.
Other services include burials and transportation to seek and/or
maintain employment.
What About The Residency Requirement?
A person does not need to lived in the township for any
particular length of time as long as he/she is living there at
the time of application. A traveler stranded in the township may
apply for assistance as a transient during office hours with or
with out the assistance of the local police or county sheriff's
department.
What Is the Person Applying For or Receiving Trustee
Assistance Expected to Do?
The Work Requirement:
By law, the trustee must require any able-bodied, unemployed
member of a household receiving assistance to seek and accept
employment, unless:
- Disabled
- Under age 18 or over 65
- Needed to care for another person
- Employment would violate fair labor standards or the law
The trustee may require proof of your inability to work, such as
a doctor's statement.
Other self-help requirements:
Any member of the household receiving assistance is required to
apply for other forms of aid if it might help the household meet
basic needs. Examples of other forms of assistance are:
| Food stamps |
Unemployment |
AFDC |
| Veteran's Benefits |
Social Security |
Medicaid |
| SSI |
|
Medicare |
the recipient must cooperate with the
trustee's office in getting necessary papers signed. For
instance, in order for the trustee to pay rent, the person
receiving help must sign a "voucher" to go to the landlord.
Failure to cooperate with the trustee could result in denial or
termination of assistance.
If you are unemployed but able to work, you may be assigned a
workfare project. The work you perform will help pay for the aid
you get. For many, workfare has been a major step on the road to
a job in the private sector.
How Does the Trustee Provide Aid?
The trustee issues vouchers, never cash, to pay for the goods
and services which they provide. A voucher is not money, but is
a written promise that the trustee will pay money to the company
of person who provides the aid, For instance, if you need food,
the trustee may give a food voucher to take to a grocery store.
The voucher is good only if you take it to that particular
store. The grocery takes the voucher in exchange for food you
select. You will receive no change if you take less than the
full amount of your voucher. Then the store turns the voucher
back in to the trustee and the County Treasurer pays the grocery
store the amount on the voucher.
I'm A Landlord And I Have A Tenant In Need Who Is Unable
To Pay Rent. Can The Trustee Help?
Yes. IF the tenant qualifies for assistance. You can refer to
the tenant to the trustee's office to make application. If
eligible, the recipient will sign a voucher for the rent. This
voucher will be sent to you for your signature and should be
returned to the office immediately. The county Auditor's Office
will forward a check to you, normally within four weeks. Any
questions about rent vouchers can be directed to the Trustee.
How Do I Find Out More About The Trustee's Practices And
Procedures?
The trustee is an elected official and like all officials, is
governed by laws and standards. The laws are in Indiana Code
12-2-1-1 and following. The trustee has adopted a set of
standards to give more detail about eligibility and office
procedures. The Poor Relief Standards are available for anyone
to see at the Trustee's Office.
Adopted from Indiana State
Guidelines for Township Assitance
