DHS is making a modification to the Families First program to allow one-time cash assistance payments to qualifying Hurricane Katrina Evacuees. The purpose of these payments is to facilitate movement from shelters to permanent residences, assist evacuees in gaining employment, and/or help families return home when possible.
The program will be known as Families First EASE (Emergency Assistance for Evacuees).
These payments are not intended for evacuees who are having their immediate needs met in a shelter and do not have a plan to leave the shelter in the short term.
The one-time Families First EASE payment will be issued in the following amounts:
|
1-2 person household |
$750 |
|
3-4 person household |
$1250 |
|
5 + person household |
$1500 |
á Families approved for the FF EASE payment will not be eligible to receive benefits in the regular Families First program for three (3) calendar months. (The amounts above significantly exceed three months of cash assistance in the regular Families First program).
á Receipt of the FF EASE will not entitle the recipient to transitional benefits or companion Medicaid associated with the regular Families First program.
á Individuals who are not receiving Medicaid in another state may receive coverage in other categories (including AFDC-MO) if they qualify under regular eligibility requirements.
To be eligible for Families First EASE, the applicant must have sought refuge in Tennessee from one of the affected counties in Alabama, Mississippi, or Louisiana and be caring for a child under 18. Application/eligibility determination for FF EASE must be made in a DHS county office or conducted by DHS personnel through a face-to-face interview. No phone interviews will be permitted.
Applicants will be allowed to self-declare their accessible income and resources. Verification will not be required. An applicant whose accessible income and/or resources exceed regular Families First program limits will not be eligible for the Emergency Payment.
For those applying for Families First EASE, the following exceptions will be made to the regular Families First programÕs eligibility criteria:
á A child does not have to be deprived of the support of at least one parent;
á When deprivation does exist due to absence, the parent/caretaker does not have to cooperate with child support requirements; and
á The applicant does not have to be within the fifth degree of relationship to the child.
9/6/05