Common Questions About
General Assistance
During these difficult times, we will try to answer some basic questions about General Assistance (GA). GA helps with basic
needs,
such as food, rent, heat and other basic needs. Every town in Maine must have a GA program. The law requires towns to give
GA to anyone
who qualifies, even if the town is short on funds. The State shares the cost of GA with towns.
Here are a couple of common questions about General Assistance.
General Assistance (GA) for People in Homeless Shelters
Question: A person lives in one town and then ends up living in a homeless shelter in another town. The person
finds an apartment in yet another town. Where should the person apply for GA? Should they apply in the town where the new
apartment is, or where the homeless shelter is, or where the person lived before becoming homeless?
Answer: The person can apply for GA in any town. A town cannot deny a person GA because they say the person is not a
“resident” of that town. Whether a resident or not, if a person wants to apply, he or she must be allowed to apply.
If eligible, GA must be granted. The towns may later work it out between them as to which one should pay the GA for that person.
Emergency General Assistance
Question: If a person applies for GA in an emergency but their income is over the GA limits, what happens?
Answer: In an emergency, GA can be given even if the person is over the GA limits. However, you cannot get GA, even
in an emergency, in some cases. For example, a person is not allowed to get GA for 120 days if they refuse to do workfare,
look for a job, or use a resource that they can get, such as money in a savings account.
Question: What is an “emergency”?
Answer: An “emergency” is any life-threatening condition or a condition that is a threat to health or safety.
Some examples are no heat, an eviction, or a fire hazard. A person does not qualify for emergency GA if he creates his
own emergency. For example, if a person uses rent money to buy lottery tickets, and then cannot pay the rent.
This is not an ‘emergency’.
Important: The GA program may still have to help any children, disabled or elderly people who live in the same
household.
Basic information about the GA program is available from Pine Tree
Legal Assistance. Contact your nearest PTLA office
or read more online.
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