What Do You Need To Know?
The West Virginia Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is also known as West Virginia WORKS which is a benefit program for families in the state of West Virginia. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families was created by the Congress under which the central government provides block grant to the states to be used for different benefits program in West Virginia and other states. The program assists underprivileged and low-income households to attain self-sufficiency. The program helps alleviate poverty in such families by providing work and educational opportunities to the members.
The program uses different ways to provided assistance to the eligible households including
- Cash aid
- Work training programs
- Job hunting workshops
- Education
- Childcare services
The amount of assistance provided by the West Virginia WORKS program varies depending on certain factors which include the total members in the household, income level of each member and if the family requires special assistance.
Program Duration
The duration for the West Virginia WORKS program is a maximum of 60 months. The recipient will receive the benefits of the program for no more than 60 months after which they will stop receiving it. The goal is to temporarily provide needy individuals with assistance so that they can look for opportunities without worrying about household expenses. In case the applicant is unable to afford the household expenses even after 60 months they can apply for an extension of the benefits
Employment Opportunities
It is mandatory for the qualified candidates to attend the Orientation that will take place either in groups or individually. There is a Personal Responsibility Contract that each adult needs to fill out. This contract is between the DHHR and the applicant which contain details about how the applicant will gain self-sufficiency. All adults in the family must take part in the training programs other than those who have been exempted based on either their age or certain disabilities. The program provides training workshops related to job hunting, interview skills, communication skills, job preparation.
Educational Services
The West Virginia WORKS program also provides educational opportunities to the applicants through different programs like Joint Opportunities for Independence (JOIN), Employer Incentive Program (EIP) and Community Work Experience Program (CWEP). The different educational opportunities include
- assessment
- vocational training
- college
- various job skills leading to job opportunities
- education-related to employment opportunities
Are You Eligible?
There are certain requirements that an applicant must fulfill to qualify for the West Virginia WORKS (TANF)
- The applicant must be a citizen of the United States of America or a legal alien
- The applicant must be a citizen of the state of West Virginia
- The applicant must have dependent children (19 years or younger)
- The applicant belongs to a poor household with low-income
- The applicant must meet the income level limit guidelines provided by the program
- The resource of the applicant must be within the limits described in the program guidelines
Other Important Documents
In order for the individuals and families to apply for the West Virginia WORKS, the applicant needs to provide copies of the following documents along with the application form at the time of submission
- Personal Identification Number(PIN) of the applicants
- Employment and work status/history
- Social Security Number (SSN) and Colorado ID of the applicant
- Copy of Driver’s license
- Documents providing your residential status
- Attested affidavit
What is considered as a Resource?
Certain things are considered as resources which the West Virginia WORKS takes into account while determining the eligibility of the applicants. Those are,
- Cash
- Savings
- Stocks and bonds
- Real estate
- Mortgages
- Car
- Property
How To Apply
The applicants can apply for the West Virginia WORKS (TANF) by visiting the Department of Health and Human Resources Services website page of the program. Upon opening the website you will find the online application form on the portal which you can access through the online account.
In case you are new, you will be required to create a new account on the portal before filling the application. This page also guides you about other benefit programs available in West Virginia. This makes the whole application process easy and effortless.
For Further Information
To learn more about the West Virginia WORKS or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) kindly visit the WV WORKS page. The website provides detailed information related to the program including the eligibility criteria, application process and any other help that might be required.
You can visit the nearby Department of Health and Human Resource office in your county if you want to apply in person for the West Virginia WORKS benefit program. You will be provided with an application which you can fill out and submit through an agent working in the office. It is important to note that before going to your local county office you should have copies of all the required documents to make sure your application is complete. You can use the Local County Office Directory link to locate a WORKS office in your community.
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