Public Benefits Law
Contact: Ty Jones
Phone: 804-782-9430 ext. 17
Fax: 804-649-3746
E-mail: ty [at] vplc [dot] org
Overview
Public benefits are programs that are administered by the state and federal government that assist individuals with many of their basic needs. The terms public benefits and public assistance are both used to describe the same programs. A few of the main public benefits programs are: Food Stamps, Social Security, TANF, Medicaid, and Unemployment Compensation.
TANF: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) provides cash assistance to needy families with children to help with expenses such as shelter, food, and clothing. In order to receive TANF, your family must meet the following requirements: (1) your family must include a child who is a U.S. citizen or eligible immigrant, and at least one adult relative of the child; (2) your family must be needy, and (3) your family must satisfy certain "good conduct" requirements. In addition, all able-bodied adults must participate in the work program, Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare (VIEW). If you want to know your rights under the TANF program look at the brochure titled "What You Should Know About TANF."
Food Stamps: The Food Stamp program is a federal program that gives assistance to low-income families to purchase food. The benefits are placed on an EBT card, which can be used at grocery stores and other markets to purchase food. Food stamps are given to a household—a group of people who live together and purchases food together. If you have questions about eligibiliy, refer to the Food and Nutrition website or the pamphlet "Food Stamps: Are You Eligible?"
Unemployment Compensation: Unemployment compensation provides temporary cash assistance to many workers who are unemployed due to no fault of their own. To be eligible for benefits you must register to work, be available for work, and have received sufficient wage credits within your base period. Eligibility for Unemployment Compensation does not guarantee benefits: an individual who voluntarily quits without good cause, is discharged for misconduct, or fails to apply for available suitable work is disqualified from receiving benefits.
What public benefits services does VPLC provide?
Advocacy
VPLC provides nonpartisan information about matters affecting the poor and vulnerable in our society to legislators and government agencies. As advocates for many low-income families and children, we provide a voice on issues regarding public assistances; such as TANF, Food Stamps, and Unemployment Compensation.
Community Education
We believe that many of the problems that recipients of public assistance have are a result of lack of information or misinformation. Due to this belief, VPLC works with numerous non-profit organizations and agencies providing services to low-income Virginians to provide information to current and future recipients. VPLC administers outreach efforts to inform the community of their rights and obligations in public assistance programs. If you are a member of a community organization that would like to have a presentation on public benefits for your members, please contact us at the number above.
Training
We provide training to legal aid programs, private bar attorneys, government agencies, and community organizations on public assistance programs and their rules.
Representation
VPLC does not provide direct legal representation to clients. If you believe that your public assistance has been unjustly terminated or reduced, please contact your local legal aid office. If you just have questions that need to be answered about the various public assistance programs, then you can contact VPLC, but understand that this will not result in representation.