When felons experience financial difficulty they may need help meeting their basic needs. While there are grant programs that will help to bring in food or provide you with medical care, there are times when you simply need cash. The good news is that there is cash assistance for felons. It’s just a matter of knowing where to turn for the help.
Felons who need cash assistance may be able to take out personal loans from banks, credit unions, and other lending institutions. However, the cash will have to be paid back at some point, and will most likely have interest added to what is owed. The better route to getting assistance may be to turn to programs that offer cash assistance.
When felons receive cash assistance from welfare programs it won’t have to be paid back. It’s considered to be like a gift to help get them through difficult times. This makes getting back on your feet much easier, because you won’t have the burden of trying to pay back on loans. There is no limit to how many programs you can apply for, so be sure to reach out to all of them that you qualify for.
Cash Assistance for Felons
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) – This federal program provides cash assistance for felons who qualify. The monthly cash assistance payment can be used to pay for a wide variety of living expenses, including food, clothing, transportation, utilities, bills, and more. The amount of your cash assistance is determined by how many people are in your household. To qualify for TANF, you have to be a citizen or legal alien, and you have to meet the low income guidelines. The program also requires that you have at least one minor child you are providing for. This cash assistance program is really designed for felons who have a family, rather than being for individual people. In some states, you may be required to participate in a work program or a job training program in order to keep receiving your monthly cash assistance. TANF is administered by social services offices around the country. To learn more or apply, click here.
General Assistance – This is a program that is similar to TANF, but it does not require that you have a minor child that you are caring for. Felons who are approved for General Assistance will receive monthly cash assistance that can be used on living expenses, including paying rent, purchasing food, buying prescriptions, and more. Felons who are approved for this program may have to participate in a job training program or work program. The General Assistance program is federally funded, but it is not available in all states. Only some states offer the program. Check with your TANF office to see if they offer the General Assistance program. To learn more about General Assistance, click here.
Catholic Charities – This organization offers locations around the country. They help felons with a wide variety of needs, including food, clothing, transportation vouchers, and more. They also provide such services as counseling and substance abuse treatment. Some locations do offer cash assistance for felons. You would need to locate the Catholic Charities program near you to inquire about whether or not they offer cash assistance. If they do not, they may be able to refer you to a local organization that does. They do not usually have a strict qualification process in order to be approved for assistance. To get more information about Catholic Charities, click here.
Salvation Army – This is a church-affiliated organization that has locations around the nation. The organization provides a range of helpful services for felons, as well as others who need assistance. They provide people with hot meals, boxes of food, clothing, shelter, and much more. Some locations do also provide cash assistance to felons in need. You would need to find the Salvation Army location near you and inquire about if they provide cash assistance. If they do not, then they may have a list of places in your local area that do. To find a location near you, click here.
The above programs provide cash assistance for felons, but you should be able to find others in your local community. The best way to find cash assistance programs in your community is to contact churches and non-profit organizations. Inquire about what type of helpful programs they provide or that they can refer you to. Most of these programs do not have strict requirements about who can receive the assistance. It is given to those who say they have a need.
Cash assistance programs are a good way to get the help you need and ensure your basic needs are being met. Contact the programs above to see you qualify for the help.