General Assistance

If you are in need of help

York County Community Action 207-459-2950 or energyservices@yccac.org

York County Community Action Corp. is now open and accepting applications for their HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program).

HEAP provides help with home heating costs to income-eligible households. This is a Federal program administered by the Maine State Housing Authority and delivered by York County Community Action Corporation (YCCAC).

If you've been wondering what the Home Energy Assistance Program is all about, click the link below and tune into YouTube to view a recent video about HEAP. Visit YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ghkaj3mWvEo?si=Fd-ssCyy_zgpCESf

Other services provided:

  • The Affordable Connectivity Program offers eligible Maine families up to $30 a month off their internet bill. To learn more, find out if you qualify, or to apply atgetacp.org/Maine.
  • Maine Housing- if you experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19, such as a job loss, a reduction in household income, the incurring of significant costs for health care or other financial hardship, you may be able to find help at MaineHousing. Apply for assistance HERE.
  • If you need help with child care, nutrition, energy assistance, transportation, health, or economic assistance, get in touch with York County Community Action Corp to see if they can help. I Need Help.
York County Community Action Corp
6 Spruce Street
Sanford, ME  04073
207-324-5762

Contact:
Dawn Moreau
General Assistance Administrator

Phone:
(207) 384-3040
- Please leave a message and your call will be returned.
- Please note: If your voicemail does not state your name, I cannot leave a message due to privacy. 

Address:
180 Main Street South Berwick, Maine 03908
- 2ND FLOOR, OFFICE NEXT TO ELEVATOR

Hours:
Wednesday 8:30 am to 11:30 am.  
General Assistance Applications are processed by appointment only.

EMERGENCY AFTER HOURS CALL:  South Berwick Police Department
NOTE: Emergency calls only.  Meaning a serious event that would cause undue hardship as a result of circumstances that were unavoidable or unforeseeable and it cannot wait until normal business hours.
207-384-2254 ext. 1 FOR DISPATCH


GENERAL ASSISTANCE

The Town's General Assistance Administrator works with residents to determine if they qualify for General Assistance. Assistance is provided by voucher. Seeking and obtaining employment will be a requirement for all applicants who are able to work.

QUALIFIED SOUTH BERWICK RESIDENTS are eligible to receive help with basic necessities such as food, rent utilities, fuel oil etc., as defined by local ordinance and state statue, M.R.S.A. 22, part 5, Chapter 1161.  You can reference, by clicking ORDINANCE and MAXIMUMS for more information. The General Assistance Program is a State mandated, municipally administered assistance program.  It is designed to be the program of "last resort".

This program is funded by local property taxes with a 70% reimbursement from the state.


APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO BRING THE FOLLOWING:
PROOF OF ALL HOUSEHOLD INCOME FOR THE PAST 30 DAYS - including paystubs, TANF, SSI & SSDI
PROOF OF CURRENT EXPENSES - most recent bills and/or other proof of expenses
COPY OF CURRENT BANK STATEMENT(S) - Financial statements from all bank accounts
NAME AND ADDRESS OF CURRENT LANDLORD AND COPY OF LEASE (if rental assistance)
DRIVERS LICENSE OR OTHER IDENTIFICATION OF YOURSELF
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER(S) - of all household members
Copy of DHHS Summary Sheet from My Maine Connection
There is a printable list available in the side menu as well as your rights and responsibilities guide.

PLEASE NOTE:  
As of February 3, 2014, GA clients will be required to access the Electronic Verification System in order to provide income and benefit information.
ALL CLIENTS MUST LOG ONTO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE:
https://www1.maine.gov/benefits/account/login.html
This is your online connection to Food Supplement, Health Care, Cash Assistance and/or Child Care. To apply for benefits or re-certify your eligibility clients must sign up for an account. If you already have an account, sign in with your Username and Password. The GA Administrator will need the information from the DHHS Summary page to determine a client’s eligibility for General Assistance. Please print out this information and bring it with you to your appointment.


An applicant should not expect to be granted assistance at the first appointment. Other documentation and/or verification may be identified during the first appointment and are required prior to a final determination.

Repeat applicants are required to bring all of the above in addition to receipts to prove how all income from the past 30 days was spent. Any funds spent on items not considered basic necessities will be considered misspent and added back to the applicants 30-day income as a penalty. Misspent income includes, but is not limited to cigarettes, alcohol, pet food, gifts, credit card payments, cable TV and phone (unless medically required.)


PENALTY FOR FALSE REPRESENTATION

Whoever knowingly and willfully makes any false representation of a material fact to the overseer of any municipality or to the department or its agents for the purpose of causing that or any other person to be granted assistance by the municipality or the State is guilty of a Class E crime and shall reimburse the municipality for the assistance or enters into a written agreement, which must be reasonable under the circumstances, to reimburse the municipality or that person has been ineligible for assistance for a period of 120 days, whichever period is longer. (22 M.R.S.A. § 4315).