Provides undesignated temporary financial aid to low income people and families for daily necessities.

Temporary Assistance provides financial help to those families or individuals who qualify. Emergency assistance may also be available.

Chautauqua County provides once-only or alternative assistance to applicants, who are low-income and without sufficient resources, in the form of diversion services. This diversion assistance is available to persons who are at risk of needing ongoing Temporary Assistance. The purpose is to improve the applicant's opportunities for employment or to maintain their current employment so that the need for ongoing assistance wouldn't be necessary.

Services Provided Diversion services include, but are not limited to:

**Transportation Needs - For eligible applicants some of the needs might include help with motor vehicle insurance, vehicle registration and/or necessary vehicle repairs to ensure transportation to and from employment

**Work-Related Expenses - For eligible applicants some of the expenses might include purchase of work clothes, work boots and/or tools necessary for employment

TA is temporary help for needy men, women and children. If you are unable to work, can’t find a job, or your job does not pay enough, TA may be able to help you pay for your expenses.

One must apply for the benefit in person.

Temporary assistance provides financial support and emergency assistance to individuals and families who meet income and resource eligibility criteria.

Temporary, emergency financial aid to eligible individuals and families

Temporary Assistance

The Temporary Assistance Unit works to provide benefits and services to eligible individuals and families according to federal and state laws and regulations while striving to assist each recipient to become self-sufficient.

Temporary Assistance Services

The Temporary Assistance Unit provides the following areas of services:

•Child Care Subsidy

•Employment

•Electronic Benefits Transfer

•Family Assistance

•Food Stamps

•HEAP

•Safety Net Assistance

Temporary Assistance provides short-term help to families and individuals as they work toward self-sufficiency. If you are unable to work, can’t find a job, or your job does not pay enough to meet your basic needs, Temporary Assistance may be able to help you pay expenses. Eligibility for Family Assistance and Safety Net Assistance is determined based on income, resources, and cooperation with all required actions.

Family Assistance

Family Assistance is a cash benefit program providing payments to eligible households with children. Benefits are based on the household size, income, resources available, and the needs and expenses of the household as defined by state and federal regulations. Under welfare reform, an adult is eligible for a lifetime limit of 60 total months.

Safety Net Assistance

Safety Net Assistance is a program of financial assistance to needy individuals and childless couples that do not meet the requirements for Family Assistance or SSI. Generally, cash Safety Net Assistance is received for a 24-month lifetime total. After reaching the lifetime limit, benefits are received as non-cash vouchers or direct payments to vendors like landlords or utilities.

Temporary Assistance is Chautauqua County's term for federal and state temporary assistance programs. These programs give short-term help to families and individuals as they work toward self-sufficiency; Family Assistance provides cash assistance to needy families that include a minor child living with a parent (including families where both parents are in the household) or a caretaker relative; Safety Net assistance; Services and Assistance Programs for Non-Parent Caregivers; indigent burials (Indigent Burials The local district provides for burial when a Temporary Assistance recipient or other indigent person dies leaving no funds or insurance sufficient to pay the cost and there are no relatives, friends or other persons liable or willing to take responsibility for the burial expense.) **Temporary assistance for clients who actively receive cash assistance have the water bill vouchered in their name and have to be a home owner. Anyone is able to submit an emergency application for termination notices for water, but they need to go through the eligibility process.

Provides services relating to the following: Issuance/Filing of Vital Records (birth, death and marriage certificates),Building Permits, Certified copies of birth, death and marriage certificates, conditional use permits, county landfill coupons, dog licenses, replacement tags, impoundment, fire and police alarm permits, garbage/trash licenses, junk licenses, notary public services,

Family Assistance (FA)

Family Assistance (FA) provides cash assistance to needy families that include a minor child living with a parent (including families where both parents are in the household) or a caretaker relative. FA operates under federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) guidelines.

Under FA, eligible adults are limited to receiving benefits for a total of 60 months in their lifetime, including months of TANF-funded assistance granted in other states. Once this limit is reached, that adult and all members of his or her FA household are ineligible to receive any more FA benefits. The months need not be consecutive, but rather each individual month in which TANF-funded benefits are received is included in the lifetime count. The counting of this 60-month limit began in December 1996 in accordance with the Welfare Reform Act of 1996.

Parents and other adult relatives who can work must be working or involved in work-like activities. Parents are also responsible for cooperating with the local department of social services in locating any absent parent. Non-cooperation without good cause could result in lower benefits.

In addition, all applicants for assistance are screened for substance abuse to determine the necessity of rehabilitation and treatment.

Safety Net Assistance (SNA)

If you are not eligible for other assistance programs, you may be eligible for SNA. SNA is for:

Single adults

Childless couples

Children living apart from any adult relative

Families of persons abusing drugs or alcohol

Families of persons refusing drug/alcohol screening, assessment or treatment

Persons who have exceeded the 60-month limit on assistance

Aliens who are eligible for temporary assistance, but are not eligible for federal reimbursement

Generally, you can receive cash SNA for a maximum of 2 years in a lifetime. After that, if you are eligible for SNA, it is provided in non-cash form, such as a 2-party check or a voucher. In addition, non-cash SNA is provided for:

Families of persons abusing drugs or alcohol

Families of persons refusing drug/alcohol screening, assessment or treatment