Basic Welfare Benefits for Homeless Families
by: City Bar Justice Center
Basic Welfare Benefits for Homeless Families
Many homeless families on public assistance do not know that they are entitled to certain additional benefits. These benefits are to help you search for housing and provide for your families during your stay in the shelter.
Basic Public Assistance Grants (Without Shelter Allowances) - Households should receive the following basic public assistance grants by household size:
1 $137.10/month ($68.55 twice a month)
2 $218.50/month ($109.25 twice a month)
3 $291.00/month ($145.50 twice a month)
4 $375.70/month ($187.85 twice a month)
5 $463.70/month ($231.85 twice a month)
6 $535.20/month ($267.60 twice a month)
Monthly Shelter Allowances - Households with a rental obligation can obtain allowances that vary by household size. See public assistance grant levels spreadsheets for specific amounts. Please note that rental allowances for households without children are lower than allowances for households with children.
Food Stamps - For food stamp amounts for clients in Tier II shelters, use a detailed budget calculation form. Every $3 increase in a household's public assistance budget translates into about a $1 decrease in food stamps.
Restaurant Allowances[1] - Households without meals or cooking facilities where they live should receive the following restaurant allowances:
$64/month per adult ($32 twice a month)
$100/month per child[2] or pregnant woman[3] ($50 twice a month)
Partial Restaurant Allowances - For households that receive one or two meals in their shelters.
Adults receiving one or two meals a day in their shelters should receive the following partial restaurant allowances:
For dinner in a restaurant: $29.00/month ($14.50 twice a month)
For lunch and dinner in a restaurant: $47.00/month ($23.50 twice a month)
Children or pregnant women should receive the following partial restaurant allowances:
For dinner in a restaurant: $65.00/month ($32.50 twice a month)
For lunch and dinner in a restaurant: $83.00/month ($41.50 twice a month)
Pregnancy Allowances - Beginning with their 4th month of pregnancy, and as soon as documentation of pregnancy is submitted to the caseworker, women should receive a pregnancy allowance of $50/month ($25 twice a month).
WEP Transportation Allowance* -Adults are entitled to transportation allowance to cover the cost of traveling to and from Work Experience Program (WEP) activities.
Homeless Carfare Allowance (Apartment Search) - Families living in temporary housing can obtain apartment search money of $52.00/month ($26.00 twice a month) to cover transportation costs if they are not already receiving the WEP transportation allowance mentioned above.
School Metrocards for Children and Parents - Children and parents of school children are entitled to receive from the Department of Education (DOE) liaison at their shelter metrocards for travel to and from school.
Child Care - Guaranteed to individuals who need such care to participate in Work Experience Program (WEP) activities: $175/$200 per month depending on age of child.
Storage Allowance - For storage of furniture and personal belongings while person remains eligible for public assistance and as long as the circumstances necessitating the storage continue to exist.
Moving Expenses - Funds for household moving expenses using the least costly practical method of transportation, a rent security deposit, and/or brokers' or finders' fee shall be provided to individuals moving from temporary to permanent housing.
Furniture Allowance - For the purchase of necessary and essential furniture and supplies required for the establishment of a home for persons in need of public assistance.
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[1] Individuals eating at drop-in centers or soup kitchens should still receive the allowance. The restaurant allowances does not supplant food stamps, but, as with all unearned income, it will reduce the food stamp allotment at about the ratio of $1 of food stamps for every $3 of unearned income.
[2] A child is defined as a person under the age of 18 or any person under 19 years of age who is a full-time student regularly attending a secondary school, or in the equivalent level of vocational or technical training if such a person may reasonably be expected to complete the program of such secondary school or training before reaching age 19 [18 NYCRR 352.7 (c)].
[3] A woman providing proof of her delivery date after her fourth month of pregnancy receives a pregnancy allowance retroactive to her fourth month and an additional restaurant allowance retroactive to the beginning of her pregnancy.
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