| One of the little known aspects of township government is the fact that townships are mandated to provide to their indigent residents a form of welfare known as
General Assistance. General Assistance or “G.A.” is a function of the Township Supervisor’s office. It makes financial and medical assistance available to qualifying persons and families for
as long as eligibility exist. It provides for such things as food; rent, mortgage, and utility payments; doctor office visits, prescription medications, diagnostic testing; and job related expenses,
for example. G.A. cannot cover all of a client’s expenses because welfare is “bare-bones stuff”, but it can provide a safety net in cooperation with other community resources until such time
as clients can resume self-sufficiency.
Welfare reform has complicated the process by which impoverished people can obtain assistance. Some aspects of reform were long overdue and have been implemented in a
positive, forward-thinking fashion. Other aspects have been quite negative, and the reader should be aware that both federal and state governments have accomplished some of their cost-cutting
measures by shifting the financial burden of welfare to local government. From the client’s point of view, local government may be the best place to get connected to services |
