This is an discussion between Ex-Members regarding Public Assistance
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Exiting members: how to get welfare if you need it
Posted By: Oldtimer
Date: Saturday, 12 April 2003, at 8:39 p.m.
Joseph, someone posted this on the board a couple years ago, and I found it in my files. I have about 8 more files to follow it that I kept. Maybe these could be complied by someone and used as resources? Here it is:
Things have changed a bit with assistance across the Nation in the past 3 years. Due to the Welfare to Work Act there are more requirements and less time a person can be on assistance.
Basically, the Welfare to Work Act was initiated to stress employment...any employment is better than none. That you are more employable if you are currently employed.
Take a woman with three children. If this woman relies strictly on welfare, there would never be growth. The children get older, leave home, NO MORE assistance. You don't get an annual raise with welfare, but most jobs even if it is minimal wage offer pay increases, and benefits.
I believe, according to the new law....a person can be on welfare for 5 years in their lifetime. 2 1/2 years consecutive.
Be prepared to attend classroom training on how to get a job, where to look, applications, resumes, etc......then be prepared to work.
From my personal experience, It is a tough battle, but it can be won......with or without assistance. It take a strong will and perseverance.
Some other programs mothers/fathers may want to consider are:
Pell Grants = for education
WIC = nutrition for mothers and children
food stamps = food
local Health departments = for some medical
One Stops = education (GED) and employmentI have addresses of One Stops across the Nation that I will try to post .
More posts on getting assistance
Posted By: NLD (reposted)
Date: Saturday, 12 April 2003, at 10:38 p.m.
NLD wrote (practical help -- government assistance)
We never got on welfare but did take advantage of the food stamp program and medical assistance until we both finished our training programs and secured jobs. Here in the NE, you apply for all of it in the same place. At the Dept. of Social Services. They will give you an application to fill out. The more assistance you are applying for, the more they keep tabs on you but the key is to remember this is just a stepping stone. THere are so many people out there trying to abuse the system so they can loaf off and not work. But if you use it as a hand up, not a hand out, it can be a big blessing to give you the breathing space you need to become independent.
I also enrolled my youngest son then in the Head Start program which is a free preschool for lower income families, (so I could work and go to school) WHenever you receive any type of assistance, they will usually assign you a social worker who will work with you to set goals. At that time, I was going over my goals with her and my first goal was to get off food stamps. She was very surprised and said, "most people are trying to figure out how to keep them, and you're trying to figure out how to get off" She was impressed. I was having a conflict in receiving this assistance, wanting so much not to be a 'burden on society' and she said, "You know, it's people like you who these programs were designed for. It's refreshing for me to help your family". My son was with the Head start program for two and a half years and by the time he left the program we had attained every goal I put down on my initial application (which was to be off all assistance, food and medical, for my husband to train in a new field and secure a good job with med. ins., for me to land a job with the school dept and to begin nursing school.) It was a great sense of accomplishment to look back at that paper and say "We did it" and I could really feel the Lords blessing on our lives.
My husband received a grant through the RI Chamber of Commerce which will basically pay for your training in any field that you receive a certificate and secure a job within one year. He trained in PC Repair and Diagnostic/A plus. During his training he worked for the census dept. His job with the dept. ended the same week as his training and he secured a great job the same week (which actually sent him to training courses all over again for a different field) and he became a Microsoft Exchange Support tech. From there he's moved on again.
I began working for the school dept. which I will write about seperately and went back to school for awhile to become a nurse, but found that keeping up with all my other responsibilities (9 kids at home then) helping them through their many transistions, homework and having to work partime, I couldn't keep up, so I dropped out. (See, I've become a professional drop out.) But it's all worked out fine. More on that later.
Re: More posts on getting assistance
Posted By: Achieck (reposted)
Date: Saturday, 12 April 2003, at 10:39 p.m.In Response To: More posts on getting assistance (NLD (reposted))
Acheick wrote:
As some people pointed out, it is different in every state and country, so you may have to have several tips and points from different places. As for Calif., and of course the laws have changed since I got off in 95, here are some things I learned. If you want to go to college, sign up first and then apply for assistance after. I made the mistake of trying to go to college after I was on welfare and they made it very hard for me. They wanted me to take some 6 mo. course and I knew I needed more than that to really be able to enter the work force. I had to really do some fancy footwork to be able to get out of that and go to college. The great thing was that all my childcare was free while I was attending college, it was a great relief. How else could a mother with children attend college otherwise? It is real important to go to college and have a vision of what career you want, otherwise, you'll end up stuck on welfare with no way out. Another good thing is that you can apply for grants to go to college and welfare won't take that out of your welfare check as it's all government money. It will be enough income to support a family while the parents work on getting a career. I agree with the above poster who stated that they will control you, to a point that's true. I was so relieved when we got off of welfare completely. They monitor everything you do and whatever money you get, you have to report your income every month, it's a pain. But it's worth it to be able to go to college and get a real job.
Re: More posts on getting assistance
Posted By: MH (reposted)
Date: Saturday, 12 April 2003, at 10:45 p.m.In Response To: Re: More posts on getting assistance (Ironsides (reposted))
MH wrote:
True, there are things you have to comply with. Nothing is free...really. So, if they give you a check for $400 and foodstamps of $400.......you could say they expect you to try and get off of assistance as soon as possible. They want you to do an active job search AND WILL monitor this.
I think that's good.......
Re: More posts on getting assistance
Posted By: Achieck (reposted)
Date: Saturday, 12 April 2003, at 10:46 p.m.In Response To: Re: More posts on getting assistance (MH (reposted))
Acheick wrote:
But you can make use of it nonetheless, I did. The good thing about government assistance, if you use it right and for what it was intended for, is it can give you that initial lift that you need. The first thing anyone should do is sign up for some college and then apply for assistance. They will give you childcare while you attend classes and work on your degree or certificate, that is the best way to keep from getting into a trap you can't get out of.
Re: More posts on getting assistance
Posted By: MH (reposted)
Date: Saturday, 12 April 2003, at 10:48 p.m.In Response To: Re: More posts on getting assistance (Achieck (reposted))
MH wrote in reply to “You get assistance, they get your soul”:
This sounds like fam (DB) propaganda. The fear tactic, oh don't do that, they will take your soul. What they should say is. Don't do that because this will break the cycle of dependency you have from the family.
I tell you this nothing could be worse than the family. So, if you get assistance it's one more step in breaking away from these hooligans. It sure in the hell couldn't be worse than letting them(the fam) use your body and your children's bodies for their wicked pleasure. Their fix!!! Get what assistance you can and don't be afraid. God will lead you.
Re: More posts on getting assistance
Posted By: Lolo, WD & Ironsides (reposted)
Date: Saturday, 12 April 2003, at 10:52 p.m.In Response To: Re: More posts on getting assistance (MH (reposted))
Ironsides in Canada wrote:
I think it's even different in every state and province.
Basically, I only think it involves in presenting yourself to the local welfare office. From there, it depends on thei local resources.
Anywhere you go for help, though, they will be more helpful to those who sincerely make an effort to gain employment, and upgrade your education.
Ironsides
WD Wrote:
Aid is most freely available to Europeans, and the conditions for qualifying for aid vary considerably from country to country. You may get assistance in different forms, from grants and scholarships and funds, to union-based unemployment benefits, to housing aid, to childcare aid... the sum total of aid from these different sources can be substantial enough to get you on your feet big time. Conditions and check systems are in place to ensure you don't abuse the system, or slip into continual handout mentality. In many continental European states, you get enough of a handout so you don't stay in a hole. Unlike the UK, where you often get just too little so that you stay in a hole you can't climb out of. There's nothing better to keep you dependant than to "half-starve" you.
Next best would be North America. Differs from state to state. Details have already been covered by some other posters here, so I won't bother...
In Asia, aid is so thin it's practically non-existant - the welfare system is family and social connections. (Which makes it a real crime that the fam has encourages Asian members to burn their bridges and have no possibility of caring for themselves once leaving. But that's another subject!)In South America, I think it's basically the same as Asia, but I don't have too much info. The rest of the world, I think it's basically zero in terms of aid, but there may be a rare exception, I don't know...
So if at all possible, land in Europe when leaving the fam. Go stay with European relatives if you have any. Look for a job in Europe if you can, and get help filling in the gaps in your income.
Lolo said:
Hi Iron, It is so true that here in Canada, there is a lot of provincial jurisdiction but some programs are federal. For information on all services provided by the government of Canada, someone can call 1-800-OCANADA and I think it works for Canadian residents only. One thing that I found very incredible is that here in Ontario,there a lot of new immigrants who find easily the way to access the services to complete their school and get grants. I believe that they are also getting some grants to learn one of the two official languages. There are some employment centers helping you to do your resumés, etc... The site where you can go to learn about all Canadian services is : http://www.gc.ca/ I believe that on the Canadian government site, you also have access to all the provincial governments in each province.
In Canada, there is a good health care system, even though we complain a lot about it. With that health card, you can go to the hospitals, doctors, etc... instead of paying each time. Evidently, taxes are paying for it, but each individual is entitled to "free" medicare instead of being ruined for the rest of our lives like our parents in the previous generations were.