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Published: Monday, February 5, 2007

JFS tightens criteria for aid recipients

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Clothing and shelter were some of the biggest increases in need.

By ED RUNYAN

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

WARREN — A sizable increase in need for Trumbull County's "Prevention, Retention and Contingency" plan demonstrates the problems of the working poor.

Tom Mahoney, county Department of Job and Family Services director, said the agency recently tightened some of the requirements for getting money from the program — after it discovered the amount paid to beneficiaries had skyrocketed from $1.1 million in the second half of 2005 to $1.7 million in the second half of 2006.

Mahoney said the "giant spike" in payouts under the program is the result of the "lack of jobs and terrible economy" in Trumbull County.

Mahoney said there is a limited amount of money available. The money for the program comes from a federal program called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

To stretch the money enough to last the second half of the fiscal year, the JFS department changed some of the requirements effective today.

The director said foreclosures, higher utilities and gas prices are among the other reasons local working families are having so much trouble making ends meet.

The PRC program provides assistance of up to $1,200 per year for low-income people; most are working but some are being trained for a job. The aid is for auto repairs, gas cards, disaster services, school clothes, uniforms work clothes and shelter expenses.

Increases

These are increases in benefits paid between the second half of 2005 and the second half of 2006:

Car repairs, from $466,748 in 2005 to $605,154 in 2006.

Clothes, from $22,151 in 2005 to $76,890 in 2006.

Shelter, from $118,348 in 2005 to $239,189 in 2006.

Utilities, from $529,075 to $802,896 in 2006.

The assistance is designed to help people who are trying to make it on their own but need a little help.

"We do this so they don't become full customers" in even more costly programs, Mahoney said.

The program is aimed at promoting self-sufficiency by promoting work and personal responsibility.

One of the changes that had to be made was that auto repair assistance can no longer be for damage caused by an accident or for expenses associated with insurance, such as help with deductibles or payments required while the customer is awaiting insurance reimbursement.

Barb Armour, program administrator with the agency, said that change was made because there were so many people collecting money through the program.

The agency has also cut back on the gas card program. Instead of giving people up to $600 per year, they can get up to $400 now, and only those people working a minimum of 30 hours per week at minimum wage now qualify, Armour said.

"When you start to run out of money, you try to serve the ones most in need," Mahoney said, adding that if the eligibility requirements of the program had not been stiffened, the need would have "bankrupted the program."

runyan@vindy.com

Monday, February 5, 2007