What You Need To Know?
Alabama Family Assistance aims to help needy families that have a dependent child under the age of 18. It provides temporary financial assistance which can prove helpful in various cases. A child under the age of 19 can also be considered if s/he is a full-time student. This can mean education in a secondary school or an equivalent level of vocational or technical training. Alabama has set up this program for low-income families. Therefore, the eligible individuals must have income below the established standards of the agency.
Before the establishment of this program, there used to be Aid to Families with Dependent Children (ADC) which was replaced. Therefore, this program is still referred to as ADC by many. The Alabama Family Assistance helps the poor families of the state by providing them with a small monthly payment. The monetary value provided is high enough for the family to get Medicaid, food stamps, and any child care required. This assistance puts the minds at rest of various families that have children to support.
A limitation for this program has been set. In the lifetime of an applicant, they can receive this assistance a total of five times.
Are You Eligible?
The eligibility criteria for Alabama Family Assistance include certain general requirements such as the applicant must be
- A resident of the state of Alabama
- Responsible for a child under the age of 18 unless s/he is in school. A school-going child can receive the program benefits until their 19th
- A U.S. citizen, legal or qualified alien
- Characterized to have either low or meager income
- Under-employed, unemployed, or close to unemployment. The first concept means that they should be working for meager wages.
The program has been set up for needy families. This helps to make sure that the most deserving families in the state of Alabama are catered to. Therefore, the net monthly income of the applicant’s family also comes into play. This amount needs to be equal to or more than the payment standard. They must also be eligible for at least $10.
If you are approved for participation in the Family Assistance but get a job, the DHR waits. It does not consider the income for six months. This means that the person stays eligible for family assistance, Medicaid, and child care. If the checks stop after this, the family is still eligible for another year of Medicaid and childcare. Hence, this means that any person who received a job must be quick to report the development. This would help the person to enjoy extra benefits provided by the program.
How To Apply?
Interested individuals can easily apply for this program. The application process can be started by printing and filling out the form. This will then be delivered or mailed to the local Department of Human Resources. The application can be found on the online website of the Alabama Department of Human Resources. This makes it easier for residents to start their process from the comfort of their homes.
To make sure that a large variety of people can apply for this program, other methods are also available. Applicants can easily call their local office to put in their request for the application. To find the contact information of your closest Department of Human Resources office, you can visit an online page. It can be found on the Country Office Contact Lookup page.
Contacting the office will lead to the applicant receiving an application and appointment date. It is expected that the interested individual looks for work during this time. If s/he fails to do so, they will be denied Family Assistance. Approval by the DHR also means that the applicant must register at the Employment Office. The person must search for work as well as spend up to 40 hours a week in work-like activities.
There are certain exceptions to this which makes the DHR office deter specific people. This deferment is given to people who need to be home with an ill or disabled child. A statement from the doctor can also be evidence that you cannot work. Other exceptions include
- The victims of severe domestic violence
- People in drug or alcohol treatment programs
- Adult mothers with children under 12 weeks old
- Applicants with a child under 6 that does not have good childcare
For Further Information
In case any interested individual requires more in-depth information about Alabama Family Assistance, a page has been set up. This would help to clarify any queries the applicant must have, allowing them to have a smooth process.
