General Assistance Ordinance
NOTICE
The Municipality of Oxford administers a General Assistance program for the support of the poor. Pursuant to Title 22 M.R.S.A § 4305, the municipal officers have adopted an ordinance establishing the program. A copy of this ordinance and relevant statutes is available for public inspection at the Town Office.
If in need of emergency assistance, please contact the General Assistance Administrator at the Town Office.
Contact number: 207-539-4431 ext. 103
Hours Opened:Monday 8:00 am – 4:00 pmTuesday 8:00 am – 4:00 pmWednesday 8:00 am – 4:00 pmThursday 10:00 am – 6:00 pmFriday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
In an emergency when The Town Office is closed, please call the Oxford Police Station at 207-539-4414.
The municipality’s General Assistance administrator must issue a written decision regarding eligibility to all applicants within 24 hours of receiving an application.
The Department of Health & Human Services toll-free telephone number, to call with a question regarding the General Assistance Program, is 1-800-442-6003.
This notice is posted pursuant to Title 22 M.R.S.A. § 4304 - 4305
GENERAL RESOURCES
Department of Health and Human Services ~ Office for Family Independence
Food Supplement (Stamps)/Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP)
https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ofi/
Community Concepts: 207-795-4065
List of OFI Services:
Child Support
Division of Support Enforcement & Recovery (DSER) is responsible for the development and implementation of rules, regulations, policies, and procedures necessary to assure that all non-custodial parents are contributing to the economic support of their children. Contact Information: tel. (207) 624-4100 or submit a question to DSER.
Disability Determination Services
Maine Disability Determination Services is comprised of Maine State workers who make disability decisions for the Social Security Administration. Contact Information: tel. 1-(800)-452-8718
Emergency Assistance (Town’s General Assistance)
Emergency Assistance provides benefits to families with children in specified emergencies when the family is threatened by destitution or homelessness. These situations include fire, other natural disasters, termination of utility service, evictions, or lack of adequate shelter. Payments can only be authorized once annually and must be made directly to the vendor.
Food Supplements (Stamps)/Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP)
The Food Supplement Program provides benefits that help low-income households buy the food they need for good health.
- Food Supplement Employment and Training (FSET) Program
Food Supplement and Training (FSET) is a program that helps Food Supplement recipients find employment and training. For more information contact the FSET Eligibility Specialist at 1-207-624-4186 or submit a question to the FSET Eligibility Specialist
- Maine SNAP-Ed
Maine SNAP-Ed provides nutrition education services statewide to assist low-income Maine residents with helpful information on how to eat healthy on a budget.
Medical Assistance
Medical Assistance, including the MaineCare, Cub Care and Medically Needy programs, provides payment to health care providers. Eligibility is determined by the Office for Family Independence. Bill payment and other activity are done by the Office of MaineCare Services.
TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
Temporary help for children and their parents while the family works toward becoming self-supporting.
- Alternative Aid Assistance
Alternative Aid Assistance is a program to assist TANF eligible parents who need short term help to find or maintain employment. Voucher payments equal to up to three months worth of TANF benefits are available to families to help them avoid the need for TANF benefits.
- Parents as Scholars
Parents as Scholars is a program for parents involved in a two year or four year postsecondary program. It offers a monthly benefit based on guidelines for the TANF program.
Telephones – Lifeline free phones
The Maine Association of Area Agencies on Aging (M4A) is a private, non-profit organization that provides a unifying voice for Maine’s 5 Area Agencies on Aging on issues that promote independence, dignity and economic self-reliance for Maine’s older adults.
Maine’s network of Agencies on Aging is the leading source of information for thousands of Maine seniors on aging, healthy living and benefits. Programs and outreach support services are designed to improve the physical, social and emotional well-being of older adults and to reduce the burden on families and caregivers.
The Area Agencies on Aging make a difference in the everyday lives of Maine’s older adults. They bring meals, provide family caregiver support, offer expert advice on insurance and drug benefits, and direct disabled and aging Mainers to appropriate community resources.
https://mainecommunityactionassociation.org/
Maine Community Action Association is a statewide organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of Maine citizens by advocating for, enhancing and supporting the work of the Maine community action agencies.
The “CAP” agencies provide a whole list of services that vary with location. Housing, Nutrition, Seniors, Strengthening Families, and Transportation services.
Child Care - Maine has many different child care options to meet the various needs of families.
http://maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/ec/occhs/infoparents.htm
http://maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/ec/occhs/payingchildcare.htm
Domestic Violence Help: Statewide Domestic Violence Helpline - Information, crisis counseling, emotional support and advocacy. Call 1-866-834-4357 or visit www.mcedv.org.
Unemployment Benefits
If you lost your job or if the number of hours you work has been cut, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits. You can apply for unemployment online at http://www.maine.gov/labor/unemployment/howtofile.html#online, by telephone with the Unemployment Claims Center toll-free at: 1-800-593-7660 or TTY: 1-888-457-8884, or by mail in which you will need to complete and submit the following forms: Initial Application Form (B9.2); Income Tax Withholding Form (W4-V); Dependents Form (B-70). Your best option for filing an unemployment claim is to file online.
Women, Infants and Children (W.I.C.)
WIC is a nutrition program for thousands of Maine families. WIC serves all kinds of families with free nutrition advice, tips for staying healthy, recipes, and resources for growing families. Phone: 800-437-9300 or 207-287-3991, TTY: 1-800-438-5514, Mailing address: 11 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333, or http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/wic/wic-ed/index.html
2-1-1 Maine is a comprehensive statewide directory of over 8,000 health and human services available in Maine. The toll free 2-1-1 hotline connects callers to trained call specialists who can help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Finding the answers to health and human services questions and locating resources is as quick and easy as dialing 2-1-1 or visiting www.211maine.org
Career Centers
The Maine CareerCenter provides a variety of employment and training services at no charge for Maine workers and businesses. Whether you are looking to improve your job qualifications, explore a different profession, find a new career or hire an employee, the CareerCenter can help. www.mainecareercenter.com,
http://www.mainehousing.org/programs-services/rental/rentaldetail/HousingChoiceVouchers
MaineHousing’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program provides rental assistance to income-eligible tenants by subsidizing a portion of their monthly rent and utilities and paying it directly to their landlords. Where utilities are not included in rent, the program may pay a larger portion of the rent so that the tenant is able to cover utility payments.
The assistance provided is the difference between what the tenant pays toward rent (generally 30 - 40% of the household’s adjusted gross income) and the cost of the rent. Household income restrictions apply and vary by location and family size.
When awarding vouchers, MaineHousing gives priority to Maine people who are homeless.
You may be denied a voucher as a result of criminal activity, alcohol abuse, or other reasons. Vouchers may also be denied if you owe money to MaineHousing or another housing authority, unless you have entered into and are complying with a repayment agreement.