<%option explicit%> Bayfield County Department of Human Services Economic Support

Bayfield County Economic Support Services

Mission:

Assist individuals to achieve economic well-being.

Services Provided by Economic Support:

NEW: Governor's Energy Assistance Program (GEAP)

    Governor Doyle and the Wisconsin Legislature have approved $6 million in expanded Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance (WHEAP) funding for the 2005-2006 heating season. Get the information on this new program (PDF)

    You will find the poverty level charts here to see if you might qualify.

Find more information on:

Health and Nutrition

Energy Assistance

Health Insurance

Job Assistance/Unemployment Compensation Claiming

Social Security

Statistics

Tax Credits

The State of Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services is a source for more programs and services.

Wisconsin Connections will give you more information about energy assistance, tax credits, health, child care, family, jobs and economic support. You'll also find an Eligibility Guide (PDF) to Assistance Programs for Wisconsin Households.

Medicaid

General eligibility requirements include:

  • Income guidelines for all participants
  • Asset requirements for elderly, blind or disabled participants
  • Children under the age of 19
  • Individuals 65 and over
  • Individuals considered blind or disabled by the Social Security Administration
  • Pregnant women
  • Women between the ages of 15 and 44
  • Caretaker of a minor child(ren)living in the same household

Family Medicaid

  • AFDC Medicaid - for parents, caretaker relatives (grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc) and children who meet the income guidelines of the former AFDC program that ended in 1996
  • BadgerCare - for uninsured parents and children under age 19 living together as families. Uninsured means that the family isn't covered by a health insurance plan in the current month or the three previous months, has no access to family health insurance coverage through their employer or the employer offers family health insurance coverage but pays 80% or less of the health insurance premium. Income must be less than 185% of the federal poverty level when applying, but may increase to 200% before eligibility is lost. Families whose income is over 150% of the federal poverty level will need to pay a small premium monthly to become eligible and remain eligible for BadgerCare.
  • Healthy Start - for children and pregnant women with income up to 185% of the federal poverty level.
  • Family Planning Waiver - for women between the ages of 15 and 44 whose gross family income doesn't exceed 185% of the federal poverty level. Teens are able to apply on their own with only the teen's income counted. The program covers certain family planning services and supplies.
  • Well Woman Medicaid - provides full Medicaid benefits to underinsured or uninsured women ages 35 to 64 who are in need of treatment for breast or cervical cancer. Contact Bayfield County Health Department for enrollment information. Enrollment in the program must be completed prior to the cancer diagnosis.

Elderly/Blind/Disabled Medicaid

  • EBD Medicaid - for people who are age 65 or older, and those blind or disabled whose disability has been determined by either the Social Security Administration or the Disability Determination Bureau.
  • Nursing Home Medicaid - for people who reside in a nursing home and meet income and asset guidelines.
  • Community Waiver Medicaid - for people who are elderly, blind or disabled who are able to remain in their own homes rather than in institutions or nursing homes if supportive services are available. Must meet income and asset guidelines.
  • Medicaid Purchase Plan - provides health care coverage for people with disabilities who work. It allows many disabled people to obtain Medicaid eligibility even if employed because income and asset limits are higher than for other Medicaid programs.
  • Medicare Premium Assistance - helps Medicare recipients pay for their Medicare Part A and/or Part B after meeting certain income and asset guidelines.

To register with Bayfield County Human Services for Medicaid, get the Medicaid Application. Please print, complete and mail the form to: Bayfield County Department of Human Services, PO Box 100, Washburn, WI 54891.

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Caretaker Supplement

This program offers assistance for households with a parent receiving Supplementary Social Security Income (SSI) who is caring for one or more of their minor children. Certain income and asset limits must be met, and if both parents are living in the household, both parents must be receiving SSI to be eligible for CTS. If a family is eligible for the Caretaker Supplement, an additional amount of income is included in the parents' SSI check each month.

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FoodShare Wisconsin

FoodShare Wisconsin helps individuals and families who have limited income buy the food they need for good health.

FoodShare benefit amounts are based on household size and monthly net income after various deductions, including rent/mortgage payments, property tax payments, homeowner's insurance, heat, electric and other utility costs, child support payments made to a child who doesn't live in the home, and child care costs. The lower the net income, the higher the FoodShare benefits a family may receive.

FoodShare benefits are deposited in an Electronic Benefits Transfer account and are spent using a debit card called the Wisconsin Quest card. The Quest card allows access to FoodShare benefits through swipe card terminals at food stores.

FoodShare benefits can be used to buy foods such as:

  • Breads and cereals
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Meats, fish and poultry
  • Dairy products
  • Seeds and plants which produce food for the household to eat

FoodShare benefits cannot be used to buy items such as:

  • Non-food items like pet foods, soap, paper products, household supplies, grooming items, toothpaste or cosmetics
  • Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco
  • Food that will be eaten in the store
  • Hot foods

To register with Bayfield County Department of Human Services for FoodShare, get the FoodShare application. Please print, complete and return the first two pages to: Bayfield County Department of Human Services, PO Box 100, Washburn, WI 54891.

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Child Care

Wisconsin Shares, a child care subsidy program, is designed to provide financial assistance to low income parents who are working or preparing to enter the workforce.

To qualify, a family must meet income guidelines and the parent must be participating in one or more of the following activities:

  • Working
  • Attending high school if a teen parent under 20 years of age
  • Working and participating in employment skills training
  • Participating in W2
  • Participating in FoodShare Employment and Training program activities

If approved for the child care subsidy, the child must attend a state licensed or county certified child care facility. The parent will be expected to share the cost of care by paying a co-payment. The co-payment is determined based on a sliding scale determined by family income, family size, age and number of children in subsidized care and the type of facility.

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Wisconsin Works (W-2)

W2 replaced the AFDC program in September, 1997. W2 is available to low income parents with minor children. It offers supportive services and may provide limited financial assistance for parents as they develop job skills to obtain and maintain employment.

There are several employment and training levels within W2, each with work-related activities as a requirement. These requirements may include earning a GED, technical college courses or skill training, employer-sponsored training, adult basic education courses, or learning basic employment skills at a non-paid work experience placement.

A custodial parent of an infant 12 weeks old or younger may be eligible for a cash benefit and assistance with career planning and job placement.

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W-2/FoodShare Employment and Training Case Management

Both W2 and FoodShare include an employment and training requirement.

In W2, a parent receiving a financial benefit must be engaged in work or employment skills training and other work-related activities. W2 participants are required to be involved in 28 to 32 hours of training, education and work-related activities per week.

People eligible for FoodShare benefits who are at least 16 years of age but less than 60 must register for work and accept a suitable job offer unless they are the parent or other household member who is responsible for the care of a child less than age 6 or for an incapacitated person, or is a participant in a drug addiction or alcohol treatment program, or is already working at least 30 hours per week, or who have applied for or are receiving Unemployment benefits, and certain students enrolled and attending high school, a training program, a technical college or university.

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Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance program

WHEAP provides assistance to individuals and families for heating and electric costs, and may assist in an energy crisis situation.

Heating assistance is available during each heating season, from October 1 through May 15 of the following year, and is intended to help pay a portion of heating costs. The amount of the heating assistance benefit varies according to household size, income and heating costs from the previous year. For most households, the benefit is sent directly to the fuel supplier and credited to the household's heating account.

Many households will also qualify for a payment for non-heating electric costs. This benefit will also be sent directly to the electric provider and credited to the household's account. The amount of the benefit will vary based on household size, income level and annual electric costs.

Households without heat, or who have received a disconnect notice, or who are nearly out of fuel with no way to pay for heating needs may be eligible for Emergency Crisis Assistance. This assistance is available on a first come first served basis starting October 1st and ending the following May 15th.

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