TOWN OF HAVERHILL

POLICY & GUIDELINES FOR GENERAL ASSISTANCE

I. RESPONSIBILITY OF TOWN OFFICIALS

By statue, the Selectboard of the Town of Haverhill is the Overseer of Public Welfare. The Selectboard has appointed the Welfare Administrator to coordinate and implement a program of general assistance pursuant to FSA 165. In this capacity, the Welfare Administrator will be referred to as such in this document. In the absence of the Welfare Administrator the Administrative Assistant and/or the Town Manager shall serve as the Welfare Administrator. The Welfare Administrator performs these duties under the supervision of the Selectboard. The office hours of the Welfare Administrator are Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. The office hours are posted on the door of the Welfare Administrator’s Office at the Morrill Municipal Building, located at 2975 Dartmouth College Hwy. (Rte 10), in the North Haverhill precinct of the Town of Haverhill. Anyone seeking general assistance shall make initial inquiry at this office. Emergency aid, when need is demonstrated under these Guidelines, shall be made available within 72 hours after the applicant initiates the process.

II. ROLE OF GENERAL ASSISTANCE IN HAVERHILL:

Because of the existence of state and federal assistance programs, the role of the Town of Haverhill as an assistance provider is usually a temporary one. The nature of assistance provided by the Town of Haverhill is primarily:

(a) To provide short-term assistance to sustain a person or household until they can apply for, be found qualified and eligible for and begin receiving aid from state and/or federal assistance programs;

(b) To provide emergency aid (i.e. food, shelter, utilities, heat and medical necessities) in crisis situations, examples of which could be when a utilities shut-off has been threatened and/or medical situations where health and safety are in jeopardy;

(c) As a last resort, long-term assistance for applicants who cannot obtain aid from any other source.

III. Confidentiality of Information:

Information given by or about an applicant or recipient of General Assistance is confidential and privileged, and is not a public record under the provisions of RSA 91-A. Such information will not be published, released, or discussed with any individual agency without written permission of the applicant or recipient except when disclosure is required by law, or when necessary to carry out the purposes of FSA 165.

IV. APPLICATION PROCESS:

(a) Right to Apply. Anyone may apply for General Assistance by completing a written application form. If more than one adult resides in a household, they all may be required to appear at the welfare office to apply for assistance, unless one is working or otherwise reasonably unavailable.

(b) Application. A written application along with a list of necessary documents will be given to the applicant for completion.(See Forms A & B) Approval of emergency aid may be given in extreme cases without a completed application; however, an application should be completed as quickly as possible after the rendering of such emergency aid. An application is not considered complete until all questions have been answered, all requested documentation furnished and the application has been signed in all of the appropriate areas.

(c) Home visits. A home visit may be made to each applicant only when it is determined to be necessary for the Welfare Administrator to understand all the services needed to help the applicant, or whenever there is a reasonable basis for such a home visit.

(d) Decision. The written notice of decision (See Form C) shall be provided to the applicant within five (5) working days of receipt of the completed application. If the applicant decides to withdraw his/her application, the Welfare Administrator shall attempt to obtain a written statement from the applicant testifying to this decision. If such statement cannot be obtained, the Welfare Administrator shall make a detailed notation in the case file of the facts leading to the withdrawal. Should an application be denied, the applicant has the right to appeal and to request a fair hearing to review the decision. Such an appeal and request for hearing must be made within five days for the receipt of notice of decision. (See Form D)

V. RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH APPLICANT AND RECIPIENT:

At the time of initial application, and at all times thereafter, the applicant/recipient has the following responsibilities:

(a) To provide accurate, complete and current information concerning

needs and resources and the whereabouts and circumstances of

relatives who may be responsible under RSA 165:19.

(b) To notify the Welfare Administrator within 72 hours when a

change in needs or resources may affect eligibility for continuing

assistance.

(c) Within 7 days of application, to apply for and utilize any benefits

or resources, public or private, that will reduce or eliminate the

need for General Assistance.

(d) To keep all appointments as scheduled.

(e) To notify the Welfare Administrator within 72 hours of change of

address and any change in the members in the household.

(f) To diligently search for employment and provide verification of

application for employment when requested, following a

determination of eligibility for assistance (See Employment

Search Form E).

(g) To accept employment when offered, following a determination

of eligibility for assistance.

(h) To provide a doctor’s statement if the applicant/recipient claims an

inability to work due to medical problems.

An applicant will be denied assistance if he/she willfully fails to fulfill any of these responsibilities without reasonable justification. If the applicant is unable to fulfill these responsibilities he/she should notify the Welfare Administrator.

VI. FACTORS FOR DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY AND NEED:

In determining eligibility and need the Welfare Administrator will

normally determine “need” on a household-wide basis, and will use

the following information:

(a) Available Income. All income regularly received by the applicant

or any member of the household who can be required to be treated jointly will be considered, no matter what the source. Further, income for the purpose of general assistance means net income. iIncome sources are only counted if they are actually being received. If the applicant is receiving aid from other sources, except for Food Stamps or Fuel Assistance, the amount of that aid will be treated as income. If a person is receiving State of NH Old Age or Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled under RSA 167:27, these persons are ineligible for any type of assistance except medical assistance. Records of recent income will be examined, since spending habits often distinguish between those who do not have adequate income, and those who do, but have a money management problem.

(b) Available Liquid Assets. If the applicant has available assets

(bank deposits, securities, insurance policies with loan values, non-essential personal property, etc.), the value of these assets will be applied towards their basic support and subtracted from their general assistance eligibility.

(c) Expenses. Verification of all expenses noted on the application

Required through bills or receipts or alternative means if the original papers are not available. Expenses that are allowable in computing need are: rent, food, utilities and maintenance supplies to meet basic needs and to maintain a minimum standard of health, safety and comfort of the recipient. Telephone and transportation costs may be considered allowable, if the circumstance requires.

Using the following information, the Welfare Administrator will determine the “need” for assistance.

Shelter. The amount to be included as “need” for shelter is the cost of rent or mortgage necessary to actually provide shelter. Shelter arrearages will be included in the “need” formula if and only if such payment is necessary to prevent eviction or foreclosure or to protect the health and safety of the household. Security deposits may be included in the “need” formula if and only if the applicant is unable to secure alternative shelter for which no security deposit is required or is unable to secure funds, either he/she or from alternative sources, for payment of the deposit.

Utilities. When utility costs are not included in the shelter expense, the most recent outstanding monthly utility bill will be included as part of “need” by the Welfare Administrator. Arrearages will not normally be included in “need” except as set forth below:

(a) Arrearages will not be included except when necessary to ensure the health and safety of the applicant household or to prevent termination of utility service.

(b) Electric arrearages need not be paid if the Welfare Administrator notifies the electric company that the municipality guarantees payment of current and future electric bills as long as the recipient remains eligible for General Assistance.

(c) Restoration of Service. When utility service has been terminated and the Welfare Administrator has determined that the alternative utility service is not available and alternative shelter is not feasible, arrearages will be included in “need” when restoration of services is necessary to ensure the health and safety of the applicant household.

(d) Deposits. Utility security deposits will be considered as “need” if and only if the applicant is unable to secure funds for the payment of the deposit and is unable to secure utility service without a deposit. Such deposit shall, however, be the property of the Town.

(e) Food. The amount included as “need” for food purchases will be in accordance with the most recent food stamp allotment, as determined under the food stamp program administered by the Division of Welfare under RSA 161:2 (XIII).

(f) Maintenance Allowance. Applicants may include, in calculating “need” the costs of providing personal and household necessities.

(g) Telephone. If the absence of a telephone would create an unreasonable risk to the recipient’s health or safety (verifiable in writing by a physician) or for other good cause as determined by the Welfare Administrator, the lowest available basic monthly rate will be budgeted as “need”.

(h) Transportation. If the Welfare Administrator determines that transportation is necessary (e.g.: for health or medical reasons, to maintain employment, or to comply with conditions of assistance) “need” should include a reasonable amount of costs for transportation.

Qualified State Assistance Reduction. The Local Welfare Administrator is hereby authorized to deem the amount of qualified state assistance reduction made pursuant to RSA 167:82, VII as income when determining an applicant’s eligibility.

VII. PAYMENT GUIDELINES:

Once an applicant is found eligible the following guideline amounts will be used to help determine payment. NOTE: The following amounts are guidelines only and should not be considered either minimum or maximum amounts. Actual amounts of assistance will be determined by the “need” in each circumstance, as set forth in Section VI above.

Rent: $650 per month/household

Food: $150 per month per person

Utilities: $100 per month-this amount may vary due to circumstances and different utilities.

Fuel: Determined by circumstance and amount needed

Medical: Determined by circumstance and type of prescription.

Any assistance provided will not be in the form of cash, but rather will be in the form of vouchers or other methods allowing disbursement directly to the vendor.

Applicant lacking shelter. If an otherwise applicant for general assistance lacks suitable shelter at the time of application (e.g. homeless shelter, motel, etc.) and affordable, suitable housing is not immediately available, the Town shall provide such assistance amount as may be necessary to temporarily provide adequate housing, including a motel/hotel room. In some circumstances, the applicant may be referred to a homeless shelter. Relevant circumstances for referral to a homeless shelter may include family size, availability of adequate transportation, proximity to medical/mental health/ social service provider, proximity to family, proximity to children’s schools, etc. In the event an otherwise eligible applicant is referred to a homeless shelter, the Town of Haverhill may be obligated to provide other forms of assistance (such as transportation costs to/from work, medical/mental health/social service providers, children’s schools, supplemental food assistance etc.)

If shelter assistance is provided in the form of a motel/hotel room or a homeless shelter, the applicant will be expected to search for alternative housing, and the Welfare Administrator will notify the applicant of what is specifically expected. If the applicant cannot conduct a housing search as required, the applicant should tell the Welfare Administrator immediately. The applicant may be eligible for assistance related to the applicant’s housing search (transportation expenses, application fees, etc.)

If the applicant finds suitable alternative housing, the applicant should notify the Welfare Administrator immediately. The applicant may be eligible for assistance in the form of security deposit, monthly rent, etc.

Prescriptions. Although the Town’s policy is to issue prescription vouchers on a “one-at-a-time” basis, ongoing and continued monthly prescription assistance is available. The applicant will be required to keep the Welfare Administrator up-to-date concerning medical needs.

VIII. OTHER SOURCES OF ASSISTANCE:

The Welfare Administrator will request that the applicant apply for assistance at the Littleton District Office, Division of Human Services and at the Tri-County CAP Office to determine whether the applicant qualifies for State or Federal Assistance before expending local tax dollars. This information must be returned to the Welfare Administrator in writing.

IX. AFTER APPROVAL AND PAYMENT OF ASSISTANCE:

Once the applicant has received any type of Town general assistance, the Welfare Administrator may ask that the applicant complete and submit work search forms (See Form E), sign up with the nearest Employment Office and participate in a work program.

X. RECOVERY

(a) From the recipient. If the applicant’s economic status, after aid has ceased, improves to a point where repayment can be made, the Town of Haverhill will seek to recover assistance payment made on his/her behalf. RSA 165:20b states that Towns may seek recovery of such payments only when the recipient “can reimburse the town without financial hardship” (See “Reimbursement Agreement” on Application, Form A.)

(b) Lien of the Recipient’s Real Estate. If an applicant owns real estate, the Town of Haverhill will place a lien on that real estate in the amount of the assistance rendered. RSA 165:28 states that such a lien “shall” be placed on the property “except for just cause”. Notice of the lien will be filed with the Grafton County Registry of Deeds, complete with the owner’s name and a description of the property sufficient to identify it (See Form F).

(c) From Municipality of Residence. If aid is granted to a resident of another town or city in New Hampshire and that resident has indicated no intent to establish a residence in the Town of Haverhill, the Town will seek to recover the amount of general assistance rendered from that applicant’s town or city of residence.

(d) When the landlord of a recipient owes the city or Town money for taxes or municipal utilities, any rent to be paid on behalf of the recipient can be applied to the landlord's delinquent accounts. The landlord must be in arrears. The arrearage can be on any property the landlord owns, not just the one where the recipient resides. See RSA 165:4-a and :4-b.

XI. BURIALS

The Welfare Administrator shall provide for proper burial, at municipal expense, of persons found in the community at time of death, regardless of whether the deceased person ever applied for or received general assistance from any community.

In such cases, assistance may be applied for on behalf of the deceased person, however the application shall be made before ANY burial expenses are incurred. The expense may be recovered from the deceased person’s municipality of residence, or from a liable relative.