1. HELPING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS AFTER A DISASTER
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO SELECTED
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
Madlyn Morreale and Barbara Degen
Legal aid of North Carolina
Disaster Recovery and Legal Services
CLE for Attorney Volunteers
North Carolina Bar association
Cary, north Carolina
December 5, 2016

2. Overview of Selected Programs to Assist With Basic Needs
Disaster-Specific Nutrition Assistance Programs
Disaster SNAP*
Replacement SNAP*
Hot Food Waiver*
* Application deadlines have already expired for residents of Hurricane Matthew disaster-designated counties.
Other Programs
Food security
Income security
Access to health care
Access to safe, affordable housing
Legal Aid of North Carolina
December 5, 2016

3. Disaster-Specific Nutrition Assistance Programs (USDA)
For People Already Receiving SNAP/ “Food Stamps”
Supplemental SNAP *
Replacement SNAP *
Hot Food Waiver *
For People Who May Not Regularly Qualify for SNAP
Disaster SNAP *
For people who have disaster-related expenses such as lost income, lost or damaged property, or lost food due to power outages
Benefits issued within 3 days using EBT card
* Temporary programs, limited to eligible households in disaster-designated communities. Application deadlines have already passed for Hurricane Matthew-Related assistance.
Legal Aid of North Carolina
December 5, 2016

4. Legal Aid of North Carolina
December 5, 2016

5. Legal Aid of North Carolina
December 5, 2016

6. Food and Nutrition Assistance
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/ “Food Stamps” *
Provides food assistance to low-income individuals and families
Monthly allotments are issued via Electronic Benefit Transfer cards (EBT cards)
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) *
Provides food to low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, and infants and children until the age of five
* Federally-administered, applications submitted through local Departments of Social Services
Legal Aid of North Carolina
December 5, 2016

7. Legal Aid of North Carolina
December 5, 2016

8. Legal Aid of North Carolina
December 5, 2016

9. Income Support Work First/ TANF * Work First Benefit Diversion *
North Carolina’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to help children’s caregivers become employed and self-sufficient
Provides cash assistance, employment services, child support referrals, training, and other supportive services
Work First Benefit Diversion *
Alternative to TANF
One-time, lump-sum cash assistance payment
Up to three months of Medicaid and SNAP
Referrals to child care and other community and agency resources
* Federally-administered, applications submitted through local Departments of Social Services
Legal Aid of North Carolina
December 5, 2016

10. Income Support (cont.) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) **
Eligibility limited to people who:
Are blind, < age 65, or disabled;
Have very limited income and assets; and,
Meet other requirements
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) **
Benefits provided to people who:
Have worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes; and
Can’t work because of a medical condition that has lasted or will last at least one year or result in death
** Administered by (and applications submitted to) the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA)
Legal Aid of North Carolina
December 5, 2016

11. Legal Aid of North Carolina
December 5, 2016

12. Health Insurance and Medications
Marketplace Coverage (ACA)
Open Enrollment Period for coverage in 2017
Nov. 1, 2016 – Jan. 31, 2017
“Special Enrollment Periods”
For people experiencing certain life events
Free, in-person, confidential, assistance available to help with enrollment
or GetCoveredAmerica.org/Connector
Medication Assistance Program (MAP)
Provides access to free prescription drugs for uninsured, low-income individuals
Legal Aid of North Carolina
December 5, 2016

13. Health Insurance and Medications (cont.)
Medicaid *
Eligibility requirements, scope of benefits, and duration of coverage vary based on a variety of factors, including, for example:
Age, income, assets, disability, immigration status, and “categorical eligibility” (e.g., enrolled in SSI, foster care, Medicare, NC Breast & Cervical Cancer program)
North Carolina Health Choice for Children *
Uninsured children who are under age 19
Household income > Medicaid limits < 200% FPL
* Jointly-administered by State and Federal government, applications submitted through local Departments of Social Services
Medicaid Citizenship Requirements
To be eligible for full Medicaid, an individual must be --
a U.S. citizen, or
an alien admitted to the US under a specific immigration status
Health Care – Emergency Medicaid
Other immigrants are eligible for Medicaid for emergency medical services only.
Some qualified aliens have a 5-year disqualification period, during which they are eligible for Medicaid for emergency medical services only.
Definition – Emergency Services
Treatment after the sudden onset of a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity, including severe pain, such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in placing the patient's health in serious jeopardy, or
death.
Legal Aid of North Carolina
December 5, 2016

14. Legal Aid of North Carolina
December 5, 2016

15. Legal Aid of North Carolina
December 5, 2016

16. Shelter and Utilities Emergency Assistance * ++
Provides financial help to assist with families’ sporadic emergency needs, such as utility disconnection or eviction.
Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP)* ++
Provides for a one-time cash payment to help eligible households pay their heating bills. This payment is usually received in February of each year.
Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) * ++
Provides cash assistance to low-income households that are in a heating or cooling related emergency.
* Federally-administered, applications submitted through local Departments of Social Services
++ See also for information about assistance for eligible members of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.
Legal Aid of North Carolina
December 5, 2016