Health & Welfare
Tracey Stevens
Welfare Director
Phone: (207) 453-7346
Fax: (207) 453-4280
tstevens@fairfieldme.com
The Department of Health and Welfare administers the Towns General Assistance Program.
In order to apply for General Assistance, you MUST make an appointment with the Welfare Director. Appointments will be scheduled on a first come, first served basis.
What is the General Assistance Program?
The General Assistance Program is a service administered for the aid of people who are unable to provide the basic necessities to maintain themselves or their families. It provides a specific amount and type of aid for defined needs during a limited period and is not a continual categorical assistance program. General Assistance is administered in accordance with the Town's Ordinance and Maine State laws. General Assistance is intended to help people who are in need and have nowhere else to turn. It is a program of last resort. The municipality has the responsibility to assist eligible Fairfield residents who are in need.
General Assistance gives help with basic necessities such as food, shelter, fuel, electricity, and medical services. We expect that recipients meet all eligibility requirements when we grant assistance. The General Assistance Administrator actively works with applicants to ensure that they make referrals with outside support agencies.
How to Apply and Qualify for General Assistance
The Work Requirement
If an individual is unemployed, but able to work, he or she must do the following:
- Register to work
- Actively look for work
- Accept any suitable job offer
- Participate in training or educational programs that would help them get a job, and still be available to work
If an individual does not comply with these work requirements, they may not be eligible to receive General Assistance for 120 days. If an individual is working, but quits their job without just cause, they will be ineligible to receive assistance for 120 days. Also, if an individual is working, but is fired from their job for misconduct, they will be ineligible to receive assistance for 120 days.
The Importance of Utilizing Resources
It is important that a person use their income for basic necessities. When their income is enough to pay for their household expenses, but they spend it on items that are not essential, they will not be eligible for general assistance. Also, an individual must use all resources that would diminish their need for General Assistance, such as:
- TANF and any other government program
- Trust funds
- Federal Income Tax Returns
- 401(k) or other retirement accounts
- Child Support payments
- Medical or rehabilitative programs
- Support from legally liable relatives
What Happens when Assistance Is Granted?
Within twenty-four hours after you apply for General Assistance, the Welfare Director will give you a written decision explaining why you are or are not granted assistance. If you are eligible, you will receive both the decision and an assistance voucher. When you are ineligible for assistance, you receive the decision and are informed that you can challenge the decision by requesting a fair hearing. The Fair Hearing Authority consists of three Town Councilors who preside over hearings appealing the decisions of the Welfare Director.