Craig County

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – The purpose of the SNAP, formerly known as “food stamps” is to help with supplementing a household’s food budget to provide better nutrition in order to alleviate hunger and malnutrition. The program will meet its goals by permitting low-income households to obtain a more nutritious diet by helping to supplement all
eligible households’ food purchasing power. It is the intent of the U.S. Congress to promote the general welfare and to safeguard the health and well-being of the population of the Nation by raising levels of nutrition among low-income households. The intent is also to help provide food in cases of emergency and financial disaster. A household’s eligibility for benefits is based on its monthly income, household composition, and shelter expenses. Eligible households in Virginia receive their SNAP benefits electronically. Households receive a plastic Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card with a magnetic strip and use a personal identification number (PIN) to access the benefits.

In accordance with the Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs, or disability.

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) – The purpose of TANF is to provide financial assistance to needy families so that children under age 18 may be cared for in their own homes by one or both parents, or in the homes of relatives; end the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage; prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies; and encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. If a family is found eligible, assistance is paid monthly. Periodic reviews of eligibility are scheduled.

Medicaid – Medicaid is an assistance program that pays medical service providers for medical services rendered to eligible individuals and/or payment of Medicare premiums for certain qualifying individuals. Persons applying for assistance in this program must fit into certain basic categories, such as the following: pregnant women; children under 19 years; those persons associated with TANF eligibility; disabled individuals, adults over the age of 65, blind individuals, those needing assistance with nursing home, personal care or adult living facilities; and certain referrals for Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment. The Medicaid eligibility determination consists of an evaluation of an individual’s situation that compares each of the individual’s circumstances (income, resources, property ownership, etc) to an established standard. All applicants and recipients of Medicaid must provide documentation of their citizenship and identity. Persons found eligible receive a Medicaid Card to present to their medical service provider.

Auxiliary Grant Program (AG) – The AG Program provides income supplements to recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and certain other aged, blind, or disabled individuals residing in a licensed assisted living facility (ALF) or an approved adult foster care home (AFCH), licensed by the state Department of Social Services. This assistance is to ensure that
adults are able to maintain a standard of living that meets a basic level of need. However, not all ALF’s accept AG recipients.

An individual’s AG payment includes a personal allowance. This money may be used by the adult for such things as medical co-payments, over-the-counter and non-prescription medications, prescriptions not covered by Medicaid, dental care, eye glasses, clothing, personal toiletries, snacks, sodas and activities not provided by the ALF or AFC provider. Regulations do not allow the personal allowance to be used for required recreational activities, administration of accounts, debts owed the provider for basic services, or charges for laundry that exceed $10 per month.

Before an individual can receive an AG, eligibility for the program must be determined by the local department of social services in the locality where the adult resided prior to admission to the ALF. To be eligible for AG in Virginia, an individual must meet all of the following: be 65 or over or be blind or be disabled; reside in a licensed assisted living facility or approved adult foster care home; be a citizen of the United States or an alien who meets specified criteria; have a non-exempted (countable) income less than the total of the auxiliary grant rate approved for the assisted living facility plus the personal needs allowance; have non-exempted resources less than $2,000 for one person or $3,000 for a couple; have been assessed and determined to need assisted living facility care or adult foster care placement.

Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS) – The FAMIS program was created to meet the health care needs of Virginia’s uninsured children between the ages of 0 through 18 years, in working families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but meet other income guidelines and do not have private health insurance. To learn more about FAMIS visit http://www.famis.org.

Emergency Assistance – This program is intended to provide help to families with children when a fire or natural disaster has occurred and they have no means to provide for emergency shelter and replacement of basic household needs. Persons are to apply for the TANF program to be screened for eligibility for this component. Emergency Assistance can be used to provide items such as food, shelter items, clothing, repair or replacement of household equipment which has been destroyed or rendered unusable and moving or storage of household equipment. Emergency Assistance cannot be granted when a community agency, insurance policies, or
other immediate resources are known to meet the particular need promptly in that particular type of emergency. If other resources are available but are insufficient to meet the particular immediate needs, Emergency Assistance may be granted. Evidence must be entered in the case record that specific community resources have been investigated. Likewise, income immediately available to the family, such as cash on hand or money in the bank at the time of application, must be evaluated in determining the amount of assistance granted. Note: Anticipated wages must be evaluated even though they may not be available to meet the emergency need. Payment for purchase, repair, moving or storage of household equipment must be made by the vendor method to the provider of goods or services. Payment to meet other needs may be either a money payment to the recipient or a vendor payment to the provider, whichever is most practicable and advantageous to the family.

Energy Assistance Programs (EA) – EA assists low-income households in meeting their immediate home energy needs. However, be aware that the Energy Assistance Program is not intended to meet the household’s total home energy cost during the heating season. Households must continue to make monthly payments on their bills. To be eligible, households must have a heating or cooling expense and gross monthly income may not exceed 130 percent of the federal poverty level. The Energy Assistance Program consists of three basic components:

• Fuel Assistance: This primarily provides assistance with purchasing home heating fuel. The application period runs from the second Tuesday of October through the second Friday of November. Credit Authorizations are sent to the appropriate heating vendor who is authorized to submit billing to the state for payment to the customer’s account. In some instances a payment is sent directly to the applicant.
• Crisis Assistance: This is intended to meet a household’s emergency heating need. Assistance offered includes one-time-only heat security deposit, purchase of home heating fuel, payment of heat utility bill, payment for emergency shelter, and/or heating equipment repair/purchase. Applications may be completed November 1 through March 15. NOTE: Assistance is based on availability of funds.
• Cooling Assistance: This component provides purchase or repair of cooling equipment and/or payment for electricity bills needed to operate cooling equipment. The application period for this component runs from June 15 through August 15. NOTE: Assistance is based on availability of funds. Clients must be 60 or older, disabled, or have a child under six in the home.

Weatherization Assistance – The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) administers this program. The program assists households with energy efficiency and air infiltration measures. To be eligible for any type of Weatherization Assistance, certain income and citizenship criteria must be met and the household must contain at least one vulnerable person (i.e. child under age 6, elderly person over age 65, or disabled person). To apply for Weatherization Assistance, visit the DHCD Web site.