Cash Assistance
Temporary Assistance is a financial assistance program that offers temporary help to individuals and families on a short-termed basis until the household is able to achieve self-sufficiency. The programs are Family Assistance for families with minor children and Safety Net Assistance for individuals, childless couples, and households who have met their 60-month time limit.
- Family Assistance (FA) provides cash assistance to eligible families in need that have minor children living with a parent or caretaker. It operates under the TANF guidelines with time limits of five years.
- Safety Net Assistance (SN) provides cash assistance to individuals, couples, and families not eligible for FA due to time limits. Cash benefits are limited to two-year time limits. After two years, non-cash assistance vouchers are issued.
- Emergency Assistance to Families (EAF) and Emergency Safety Net Assistance (ESNA) provide assistance to families with crisis situations that are threatening the family such as: evictions, utility shut-offs, and diversion payments to sustain the household from applying for ongoing assistance.
- Emergency Adult Assistance (EAA) provides emergency assistance to individuals on SSI with emergencies beyond their control, such as emergency housing, catastrophes such as fires and floods, and replacement of SSI checks if verified loss due to theft.
Getting Help
For more information please call us at 315-366-2211.
Application Process
How to Apply
- When applying for assistance, you will be assessed to determine the reason for your visit and the correct program for which you need to apply. You will then be given an application, LDSS–2921 Statewide Application, for completion and scheduled an appointment to apply. If you have an emergency, the interview may be the same day as the assessment.
What to Expect
- When you arrive for your appointment, you will be seen by an examiner. The examiner will review your application to ensure it is complete. The interview may take up to an hour.
Required Documentation
- You will be required to provide supporting documentation. This documentation may include the following:
- Proof of Identification - birth certificate, driver’s license, Social Security card
- Proof of residency – landlord statement, lease, rent receipt
- Proof of household expenses – utility bills, rent or mortgage,
- Proof of all household income and resources – wage verification, bank statements, vehicles
Additional requirements for eligibility:
- During the interview you will be asked to complete a voluntary "Domestic Violence Screening Form." This format provides the options to seek additional assistance if you are experiencing any form of domestic violence.
- During the initial interview, all individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 will need to meet the requirements regarding the automated finger imaging system, unless they meet the exemptions of the program they are applying for.
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When the interview is complete, you will be expected to see the following:
- Support Collection Unit for completion of referral for child support and/or to establish paternity
- Child Support Referrals are completed for all absent parents
- Drug and Alcohol Assessment for referrals to the CASAC for treatment. This is conducted by the Adult Services Unit. An assessment for drug or alcohol is conducted on every individual over the age of 18
- Employment Unit for assessment of employability or exemption based on individual needs
- An assessment for employment is conducted on every individual between the ages of 18 and 60.
- Individuals with a medically verified diagnosis may be exempt from employment activities.
- Individuals able to seek employment will be required to meet all of the Employment unit rules and regulations.
- Once the interview process is complete, the examiner will complete a referral to the Fraud Unit for a validation. This validation will include a home visit for verification that all information provided in the application is accurate.
- The eligibility process may take up to 30 days for a determination to be made. Individuals that are single or a childless couple have a 45-day wait period.
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Employment Unit
All applicants for and recipients of public assistance must participate in public assistance work activities assigned by the local social services unit. The applicant/recipient must be in compliance with the following:
- Job Search
- Job Club
- Work Experience
Applicants for or recipients of public assistance may be exempt from work activities if they meet the following exemptions:
- Ill or injured to the extent that they are unable to engage in work activities as verified with medical evidence
- Sixty years or older
- Under the age of 16 or under the age of 19 and attending fulltime a secondary, vocational, or technical school
- Disabled or incapacitated – medically verified
- Are needed in the home due to another member of the household requiring his/her presence due to a verified mental or physical impairment
- Is pregnant, beginning 30 days prior to the medically verified date of delivery
- The parent or other caretaker relative in a one-parent household of a child under three months of age