Township Assistance

Standards and Guidelines

All Township Trustees are required to establish standards of eligibility in order to ensure that relief is administered in a reasonable and fair manner. The Standards and Guidelines are proposed by the Township Trustee and then reviewed and decided on by the Center Township Trustees Advisory Board.

All decisions of the Center Township Trustee will be based on these standards and guidelines. By law, the Trustee may at any time make a decision to assist outside of these standards and guidelines. The Trustee holds the right to revise these standards and guidelines at any time with the approval of the Center Township Advisory Board.

OBJECTIVE

The Center Township Trustee’s Office is responsible for providing temporary financial assistance to the qualifying residents of Center Township. State laws define what public aid can be granted and the process to receive those benefits. Services are provided to clients through purchase orders (vouchers) for assistance with shelter, utility bills, medical, burial, cremations, non-food, food, clothing and dental.

Personal Comments of the Trustee

• I expect my staff to treat each applicant in a courteous, fair and dignified manner at all times.
• I expect the applicants to behave in a dignified manner, assist us in keeping the office clean and not create disturbances. If an applicant refuses to leave when asked, the police will be requested to remove them, and criminal charges may be filed.

• I was elected to serve all the residents of Center Township in a fair and impartial manner and will do my best to fulfill all my obligations and duties.

Application Process

Applications for assistance are taken by appointment during office hours. Inquiring applicants can schedule an appointment by visiting the office or calling to schedule an appointment. Appointments will be scheduled on a first come first serve basis. The staff of Center Township Trustee will do our best to schedule all appointments in a timely manner. All applicants must provide the required documentation before a decision for assistance will be made. Applications must be updated every six months. No further assistance will be given until updates are completed. Each update will require all necessary and updated documents. Failure to provide documentation can result in denial of assistance.

* EACH MEMBER OF THE HOUSEHOLD OVER THE AGE OF 18 WILL BE REQUIRED TO SIGN THE APPLICATION.
* I.C. 12-20-6-7 – requires that the Trustee accept and act upon each application for assistance within 72 hours of completion (excluding holidays, weekends and any closing of the office).
* I.C. 12-20-6-8 – requires that the Trustee notify the applicant in writing of any action taken on the application, including reasons for a denial of aid, and the applicant’s right to appeal.
* There is no statutory requirement that the applicant be informed of the areas of investigation. This is merely a policy of Center Township 

Documents Required for Application

The following is a list of documents required to complete an application or update:

1. Proof of ANY and ALL income received within the last 30 days, including but not limited to wages from employer, self-employment, Social Security Income, Social Security Disability, Pensions, TANF, Child Support, and any other income received.

* If you have no income, you may be asked to provide proof of dismissal from your employer, sign a Work One wage inquiry, perform job searches and/or provide proof of how you are paying your current expenses.
* If you have applied and are pending for disability, please provide proof of this.

2. Current Gas & Electric Bill – (Centerpoint Energy or Utility Company that provides you with a bill)

3. Current Water Bill – (Evansville Water Department or Utility Company that provides you with a water bill)

4. Proof of shelter expense – rent receipt, mortgage statement, letter from landlord, Deed to Property, Section 8 documents, and/or lease.
             *If you receive a utility allotment. Please provide verification.

5. Bank Account – LAST 30 DAYS OF TRANSACTIONS
(Checking Acct., Savings Acct., Cash App, Chime, Venmo, PayPal, etc.)

6. Medical Insurance cards for ALL members of the household

7. Current Picture ID, Driver’s License, State Issued ID, or Passport for all members of the household who are 18 years old or older.

8. Social Security Cards for ALL members of the household.

9. Food Stamp card – *IF THERE IS MORE THAN ONE (1) FOOD STAMP CASE IN THE HOME, PLEASE PROVIDE ALL FOOD STAMP CARDS

10. F.S.S.A Case Number – provide a document from the FSSA office that has your current case number on it. *IF THERE IS MORE THAN ONE (1) FOOD STAMP CASE IN THE HOME, PLEASE PROVIDE ALL CASE NUMBERS.

*IF YOU HAVE ONLY APPLIED AND ARE PENDING FOOD STAMPS, PLEASE PROVIDE PROOF OF APPLYING.

11. TAX RETURN FOR MOST RECENT FILING YEAR. ALL TAX RETURNS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE TRUSTEES’ OFFICE BY MAY 1 OF THE CURRENT YEAR. (ALL PAGES MUST BE INCLUDED)

Resources of the applicant will be reviewed. Wasted Resources can affect the determination of approval for benefits. Wasted Resources are defined as income spent on unnecessary wants. Other resources and assets beyond those of necessary living expenses may also affect the applicant’s eligibility.

ELIGIBILITY

a. Applicant must be at least 18 years of age.
b. Applicant must be a U.S. citizen.
c. Applicant must have identification, including verification of his/her social security number.
d. Applicant must have spent the night prior to his/her application in Center Township. To receive extended benefits, the applicant must provide proof that they are establishing a permanent residence in Center Township.
e. Except in emergency circumstances, the applicant is required to receive Food Stamps. An applicant can receive assistance one time while an application is pending.

I.C. 12-20-8-3 – permits the Trustee to deny assistance to non-residents.
I.C. 12-20-6-3 and 5 – permit the Trustee to withhold aid until the applicant verifies either that he/she filed an application for assistance with any governmental assistance program for which he/she may qualify for benefits, or that the applicants need is an emergency which must be met immediately. In the case of emergency need, the applicant must apply for other potentially available programs within 15 days of the Trustee’s assistance given.

INCOME LIMITATIONS 

• NET AMOUNTS WILL BE USED FOR INCOME LIMITATIONS