A Guide for Maine Workers and Their Families:
What programs can help in an emergency?

Guide Contents

Contents of this page
9.1 Alternative Aid
9.2 Emergency Assistance Program
9.3 Can I save my home from foreclosure?

9.1 Alternative Aid

Who is eligible for Alternative Aid?

You are eligible for Alternative Aid if:

• You meet the asset and other non-income eligibility requirements for TANF (for example, you are a single parent or a two-parent family in which one parent is unemployed or disabled)
• You have a job or are looking for one
• You and your children are not on TANF, and
• Your income is at or below the amount on Table 1 below (For example, if there are 3 people in your family and your gross income is $1,951 or less, you may be eligible for Alternative Aid).

*If you get child support, deduct the first $50 from your income before checking the amounts on Table 2.

If in doubt, the best way to find out if you are eligible is to apply.

How much help can I get from Alternative Aid?

The amount of help you get depends on how many people are in your family. Table 2 shows the maximum limits on how much help you can get:

The amount you actually receive depends on how much other income you have and how much it will cost to resolve the emergency. Once you are found eligible the amount of help you can get is calculated without considering your earned income and the first $50 you get in child support.

Alternative Aid doesn’t come as a cash benefit. It comes in the form of vouchers for services or items that you need to get or keep your job, like car repairs, child care, or even help with housing related emergencies.

Here’s an example of how Alternative Aid works:

Susan needs Alternative Aid to replace the engine in her car so that she can get to work. She has two children. Susan gets child support of $250 a month and wages of $1,500 a month.

First let’s see if she is eligible. The monthly eligibility limit for her family of three is $2,030. The program will count only $200 of her child support and the full $1,500 of her wages. That’s a total of only $1,700, so she is eligible.

Second, let’s see the maximum amount of help she could get. The maximum TANF benefit for her family of 3 would be $485 a month. This means that the most Alternative Aid that she could get is $1,455 ($485 x 3 months = $1,455).

Next, let’s see what her benefit will actually be. To do this we deduct her “countable” income from the maximum amount of help she can get.

At this point, the program will ignore her wages entirely. It will also ignore $50 of her child support. That leaves only $200 a month in “countable income.” We deduct this $200 from the maximum of $1,455, and find that she can get a total of $1,255 in help if her car repairs cost that much.

If I received Alternative Aid, can I still apply for TANF if I need help?

Yes, if you still need help after receiving Alternative Aid, you can apply for TANF. If you apply for TANF within 3 months of getting Alternative Aid, you will have to repay some of the amount that you received, but you can repay it by having it deducted from your TANF check a little at a time. If you apply 3 months after you received Alternative Aid for 3 months, you do not have to repay the Alternative Aid benefits at all.

How often can I apply for Alternative Aid?

You can apply once every 12 months. Previously, you could only get Alternative Aid once in a lifetime, but that rule has changed.

Where do I apply for Alternative Aid?

You can apply at the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) office nearest to you.

How can I find out more about Alternative Aid?

Maine Equal Justice:
Voice/TTY: (toll-free) 1 (866) 626-7059, ext. 205

Read about the rule related to the Alternative Aid program.

9.2 The Emergency Assistance Program (EA)

Who is eligible for Emergency Assistance (EA)?

To be eligible for Emergency Assistance (EA), you must:

• Have a child 20 or younger who lives in your household or be in your last trimester of pregnancy; and
• Be a “specified relative” of the child. (This is almost any relative including a stepparent, grandparent, adoptive parent, aunt, sibling, or the spouse of any relative); and
• Have income at or below the amount in Table 3 below. You may also qualify if you get TANF, Parents as Scholars, SSI, or Food Stamps as long as every household member applying for EA gets one of these benefits.

Important note: If you are a child age 20 or younger and live alone or with someone else, you can still get EA if you lived with a “specified relative” within the last 6 months.

Table 3. Income limits to get Emergency Assistance (Income may be higher if all household members are enrolled in TANF, Parents as Scholars, SSI, or Food Stamps)

Family Size	100% of Poverty Level
1	$903
2	$1,215
3	$1,526
4	$1,838
5	$2,150
6	$2,461
7	$2,773
8	$3,085
Each Added Person	$312

*Important Note: If you have earnings, some of your gross income won’t count. So even if your total income is higher than the amount shown on the chart, you should apply anyway to see if you are eligible.

Is there a limit on how often I can get help from Emergency Assistance (EA)?

Yes, you can only get Emergency Assistance (EA) for 30 days during any 12 months period. For example, if you apply for EA on November 1, 2008 you can apply again if another emergency occurs within the next 30 days, or until November 30, 2008. After that you cannot get EA for another year, or until November 1, 2009.

This means you should think carefully about when to apply for EA. Think about whether you might need more help later on in the year.

How much help can I get from Emergency Assistance (EA)

There is a limit on the amount of help you can get for each of the emergencies listed below. There is also a limit on the amount of help that you can get overall from the Emergency Assistance (EA) program. That total limit is $600 in a 30-day period. Since it will be 12 months until you can get this help again, be sure to apply for everything you need up to that $600 limit when you apply, or in the 30 days after you first apply.

You will not get EA payments in cash. Assistance is in the form of a voucher that goes directly to the agency or person providing services to help with the emergency.

What kinds of emergencies qualify for help from Emergency Assistance (EA)?

Five (5) kinds of emergencies qualify for help from the Emergency Assistance (EA) program.

• Disasters. If a fire, flood, or storm damages your home or basic household items, EA can help. It can replace things like clothing, food, or basic household items. You can also use it to pay for moving or storing basic household items after a disaster. You must apply for EA within 90 days of the disaster.

  Maximum assistance: $350.

  What to bring when you apply: proof of your loss and an estimate of the repairs needed and the cost.

• Repair or Replacement. If your septic system, chimney, plumbing, furnace, or similar kind of equipment breaks or wears out, EA can repair or replace it.

  Maximum assistance: $500.

  What to bring when you apply: proof that you own the item; an estimate of the cost of repair or replacement; and, if you are requesting a heating stove, proof from the fire department that it is safe to install it.

• Eviction or other housing emergency. EA can help if:

  • You have to move because your home has been condemned;
  • You must move to get away from domestic violence;
  • Your home has conditions that are unsafe or unhealthy for your child and the problem has been certified by a public official;
  • You have been evicted and the eviction was not caused because you or your guests damaged the property or caused a disturbance. For evictions EA can help with back rent, security deposits, and court costs. If you are asking EA to pay back rent, you must show that the payment will stop the eviction;
  • Your mortgage payment is overdue and EA will prevent foreclosure; or
  • Your property taxes are overdue and the EA will prevent foreclosure by the town or get your house back.

  Maximum assistance: $250.

  What to bring when you apply: For evictions, bring your official eviction notice along with your landlord’s name, address, and phone number. For help with your mortgage or back taxes, bring your past due or foreclosure notices from the bank or town. In cases of domestic violence or unsafe or unhealthy living conditions bring proof of those circumstances.

• Utility shut-off. If your utility has been shut off or you have a shut off notice for your electricity, gas, water, or sewerage, EA can help pay past due bills. If you were shut off in the past and you have to pay that old bill before you can get service in your name, EA can pay that old bill. EA will only help if the company will not shut off or will restore your service if the payment is made.

  Maximum assistance: $150.

  What to bring when you apply: a copy of your shut off notice.

• Special medical equipment or clothing. If someone in your family is physically or mentally incapacitated, EA can help pay for special equipment or clothing. Examples include the cost of adapting your home, corrective shoes, leg or back braces, or special stockings. Eyeglasses for adults are not covered. EA will not pay for items that you can get through MaineCare or Vocational Rehabilitation.

  Maximum assistance: $250.

  What to bring when you apply: a statement from your doctor saying that the item is needed and an estimate of the cost of the clothing or equipment.

How do I apply for Emergency Assistance (EA)?

You can apply for Emergency Assistance (EA) at your local Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) office. Be sure to bring the information described above to show that you are in an emergency and what you need to fix it.

How soon will I know if I’m eligible?

DHHS is required to make a written decision on your application within 10 days from the day you apply if you have given them all the required information.

What can I do if EA is denied?

If you do not get the help you think you should, you have a right to a fair hearing to review the decision. Your notice will tell you how to ask for a hearing. If you ask for a hearing, it must be held within 10 days.

For more information:

Visit the Pine Tree Legal Assistance website

9.3 Can I save my home from foreclosure?

Home foreclosures are on the rise all over the country, including in Maine. If you are having trouble keeping up with your mortgage payments, getting threatening notices from your loan service company or are already facing foreclosure, don’t wait. Look for help now. Try to find a legal advocate or HUD-approved housing counselor today.

For more information:

Pine Tree Legal Assistance has information that may help.

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