General Assistance
-
What is the General Assistance Program?
-
General Assistance is cash assistance for individuals with certain medical, social or other circumstances that prevent them from working. Most GA recipients are individuals or couples, with no dependent children, who have temporary or permanent disabilities that prevent their employment.
-
Who is eligible for General Assistance?
-
GA is provided only to eligible households which do not meet requirements for the TANF program. All households that apply for cash assistance are first reviewed for TANF eligibility.
To be eligible for GA you must:
-Be under age 18 or 18 through 20 and attending a secondary school and expected to graduate before age 21; or
-Be a parent in a 2 parent household with a child under age 13 or 13 or over and disabled; or
-Be temporarily or permanently physically or mentally disabled and unable to work in any gainful employment; or
-Be undergoing active treatment for substance abuse in an approved drug or alcohol program if the treatment program precludes any form of employment (maximum: 9 months); or
-Be a victim of domestic violence (maximum: 9 months); or
-Be pregnant woman and not eligible for TANF; or
-Be an adult other than a relative who is caring for a child under age 13; or
-Be caring for another person in the household who is ill or disabled; if there is no other adult in the household who is capable of providing the care. -
What are the income and resource limits to be eligible?
-
Resource limits for one person is $250; for two or more persons $1,000. The welfare department deducts certain items from gross income to determine your "countable" income. The total deductions allowed from earned income are very low.
-
Are there any time limits?
-
If you are receiving GA because you are a domestic violence victim or because you are in a substance abuse treatment program there is a 9 month lifetime limit for receipt of benefits. There is no 5 year time limit or any other time limit for GA.
-
Do you have to apply for child support to receive GA?
-
You must apply for child support if there is an absent parent. Your child support payments must be paid over to the welfare department. You must have good cause for refusing to seek a support order. Persons who may be granted good cause for not cooperating with the requirements include victims of domestic violence. If you fail to cooperate your check may be reduced by 25%.
-
Are there any work requirements?
-
Yes, but work requirements are not mandatory for many categories of GA recipients. For example, there are no work requirements for persons who are temporarily or permanently disabled. However, clients can voluntarily comply with work requirements to take advantage of education/training programs and supportive services.
Main Office: 928 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3799
Telephone: (412) 255-6700
Toll-Free: 1-866-761-6572
Fax: (412) 355-0168
Site last updated
Friday, April 16, 2010 10:33
