Cooling Assistance Application Period Underway

• Provides temporary financial assistance to eligible families and children under the age 18. 
  
• Grant amount is based upon family size. 
  
• Federal policy limits families to sixty months of TANF eligibility unless they are Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare (VIEW) program who is limited to 24 months followed by a period of ineligibility for 24 months.
  
• Virginia Initiative for Employment Not Welfare (VIEW)
  
• Provides employment, education, and training opportunities to recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).
  
• Offers Virginians living in poverty the opportunity to obtain work experience and work skills necessary for self-sufficiency; contribute to the self-sufficiency of their families; and achieve economic independence.
  
• Supportive services such as child care, transportation, domestic violence, mental health, and substance abuse services are offered to meet individual client/family needs.​​​
  

General Relief

• 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.
  
  

Auxiliary G​rant

• An auxiliary grant is a supplement to income for recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and certain other aged, blind, or disabled individuals residing in a licensed assisted living facility or an approved adult foster care home.  
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Crisis Assistance​

The Crisis Assistance component is intended to meet a qualifying household's emergency heating needs, when no other resource is available. The program assists households with emergency heating costs to include: primary heat security deposits, utility bills, repair and replacement of heating equipment, primary heating fuel or emergency shelter.

The program begins November 1 and ends March 15, annually.Applications are accepted online at https://commonhelp.virginia.gov/access and at the Virginia Beach Human Services Department.