Bayfield County Economic Support Services

Mission:

Assist individuals to achieve economic well-being.

Economic Support Services News

Did you know that if you are a Medicaid/BadgerCare Plus member you may be eligible for help with your transportation costs when you travel to get approved covered services? Please contact us at 715-373-6144 for more information.

If you would like to apply to be a volunteer driver to transport family members, friends or other county residents who are eligible for Medicaid or BadgerCare Plus, then please contact us at 715-373-6144 for more information or print the application form and return it to us. If you are approved to be a volunteer driver, then some of your costs for transporting eligible members may be reimbursed.

We are pleased to announce that we have received a grant from the Bremer Emergency Fund of the Otto Bremer Foundation, with support from Bremer Banks, to help eligible Bayfield County people with a portion of their home heating costs. The grant may be available to people who were over the income limit for the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) but have income levels below 200% FPL. To find out if you might qualify for help with your home energy costs, please contact us at 715-373-6144 for more information.

Services Provided by Economic Support:

BadgerCare Plus
Medicaid (Elderly/Blind/Disabled)
Caretaker Supplement
FoodShare Wisconsin
Child Care
Emergency Assistance
Wisconsin Works (W-2)
FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) Case Management
Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program – WHEAP

Find more information on:

Health and Nutrition

Job Assistance/Unemployment Compensation Claiming

Social Security

Social Security

Statistics

Tax Credits

Tax Credits for Wisconsin Families

The State of Wisconsin Department of Health 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.

BadgerCare Plus

Since February 1, 2008, all kids in Wisconsin have been able to get the health care they need at a price their families can afford through BadgerCare Plus. BadgerCare Plus allows every Wisconsin family, regardless of income, to have access to affordable, comprehensive health care coverage for their kids. In addition, BadgerCare Plus also offers coverage for more pregnant women, self-employed parents and farmers, and youth aging out of foster care.

Low income families can enroll their children into BadgerCare Plus at no charge. Co-payments for health care services range from $.50 to $3.00 for families with lower incomes.

Families with higher incomes will be required to pay reasonable monthly premiums and co-payments for certain services. Co-payments for health care services range from $5.00 for prescription drugs and $100.00 for a hospital stay.
Under both plans, there are no co-payments for well child checkups and other preventive services.

It is easy to apply for BadgerCare Plus. Simply go to www.badgercareplus.org and fill out the online application for this program and other health and nutrition programs. The online application is a convenient way for families to access the health and nutrition benefits they need. For more information about BadgerCare Plus call 1-800-362-3002.

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Medicaid (Elderly/Blind/Disabled)

Elderly/Blind/Disabled 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. You can also complete an application for Medicaid at the ACCESS Wisconsin website.

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Caretaker Supplement

The Caretaker Supplement (CTS) 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

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs, or disability.

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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. You can also complete an application for FoodShare at the ACCESS Wisconsin website.

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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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Emergency Assistance

The Emergency Assistance (EA) program provides assistance to needy families experiencing a qualifying emergency of: impending homelessness, homelessness, energy crisis, fire, flood, or natural disaster. The qualifying emergency must be outside of the control of the family. Eligible families must meet nonfinancial and financial eligibility requirements. The goal of EA is to get families help quickly, usually in five days.

To apply for Emergency Assistance please print the application form and return the completed form to the agency or contact us and an application form will be provided.

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Wisconsin Works (W–2)

W–2 replaced the AFDC program in September, 1997. W–2 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.

In W–2, a parent receiving a financial benefit must be engaged in work or employment skills training and other work-related activities. W–2 participants are required to be involved in 28 to 32 hours of training, education and work-related activities per week.

There are several employment and training levels within W–2, 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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FoodShare Employment and Training Case Management

The FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) program is a voluntary, no-cost program that helps FoodShare members build their job skills and find jobs. FSET volunteers who work less than 30 hours a week will work with a staff person to build an employment plan. FSET can help with:

Job searches and job referrals
Transportation, child care and other work related costs
Job skills assessment
Career planning
Basic job training
Work experience
Referrals to other community services

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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 disconnection notice, or who are nearly out of fuel with no way to pay for heating needs may be eligible for Emergency Crisis Assistance or Pro-Active Crisis Assistance. This assistance may be available year-round depending on your situation. Please contact us directly for more information about Emergency Crisis Assistance and Pro-Active Crisis Assistance at 715-373-6144.

There are several ways to apply for WHEAP: