General Relief (GR):
General Relief (GR) is a local program designed to provide maintenance or emergency assistance that cannot be provided through other means. Components in Virginia Beach include cash assistance for unattached children and for burial expenses.
General Relief for Unattached Children:
Needy children under 18 who would be eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) except for the relationship requirement may qualify for this component. This means that the caretaker is not "a specific relative" of the child for TANF. For example: when evidence of paternity does not exist, a putative father or his relatives are not specified relatives; therefore a child living with one of these individuals who would be otherwise eligible for TANF is eligible for GR as an unattached child. In addition to the money payment the approved GR Unattached Child receives Medicaid if the caretaker has established legal custody of the child.
General Relief for Burial Expenses:
An application for assistance with burial expenses may be made by relatives, friends, or other persons having knowledge of the deceased Virginia Beach resident's circumstances within 30 days of the date of death.
The available income and resources of the deceased and any legally responsible relatives (spouse for spouse and parent for minor child) is evaluated. The total funeral expenses billed to the family or other designated representative cannot exceed $2500. The maximum assistance is $500 towards the burial/cremation and is paid to the service provider.