The Town administers a program of General Assistance (GA). This program is designed to provide aid to persons who are unable to provide the basic necessities essential to maintain themselves or their families. Please click on this link to open a GA Application. Complete and return to the Paris Town Office, contact Kristina Moberg at 207-743-2501 or 207-461-5873.
General Assistance Application – Fillable
General Assistance Client Release of Information
General Assistance Questionnaire
In order to be eligible for General Assistance, you MUST:
- Complete an application with current, accurate information about your household and finances. If the information on your GA application does not match the information that DHHS has, you will be asked to update your information with DHHS and then re-apply for General Assistance.
- Provide verification/documentation of household income and expenses for the past 30 days
- Find reasonable housing within your ability to pay. General Assistance policy stipulates that: “Municipalities should always avoid placing GA recipients (even temporarily) in temporary lodgings (such as hotels, motels, inns or boarding houses). In the event no permanent housing arrangement can be found, prior to placing a GA recipient in a temporary dwelling, always call DHS to see if other alternatives exist. http://mainewelfaredirectors.org/assoc/Resources/GA/Manual/cpt/chpt2.pdf.”
- Maintain your employment and to not give cause to be terminated (people who quit a job or are terminated as a result of their own actions are considered ineligible for General Assistance for 120 days from the date of separation from that employer.
- Apply for and utilize any potential resources you are referred to by the General Assistance Administrator.
If you are eligible for General Assistance, you must:
- Complete job searches and bring to Town so that these job searches can be checked and verified.
- Bring in proof that you registered with our local Career Center.
- Report any changes to your income or household immediately.
- Our town requires “workfare first” in non-emergency cases, so if you are eligible for assistance, the amount of the assistance is divided by the minimum wage and that is the number of hours you must work at the Norway-Paris Transfer Station for your workfare assignment before any General Assistance vouchers will be issued.
If you are seeking SSI/SSDI benefits, you must:
- Work with and comply with the General Assistance Disability Advocate, complete and submit all related paperwork, and attend hearings and phone interviews as directed
The following are examples of items that are NOT considered basic necessities: phone bills, cable television, internet, alcohol, tobacco products, trips, credit card debts, costs associated with pet care, late fees, gifts, deposits, furniture/electronics rental fees, or payments on unsecured loans, such as Payday loans.
General Assistance does NOT pay back bills nor does it pay security deposits for rental units or utilities.
According to statute 4319, parents are required by law to help their children under age 25, and the municipality reserves the right to require parents to repay any benefits granted to their child.
If you are not eligible for General Assistance, we will do our best to refer you to another local resource.