Catholic Charities Rockville Centre Steps for Assessing Requests for Financial Assistance 1.

Listen to the story without writing anything down at first. 2. Ask questions to clarify sequence and details. How did individual/family get behind on bill(s)? What was unforeseen circumstance? Can this be documented? Is shelter/utility in arrears? How much? How did they manage their monthly expenses before? Continue asking questions until the story makes sense. 3. Be sure that client understands that this conversation BEGINS a process of evaluation that may take several days or more. 4. After you have a sense of the circumstances, the sequence of events that led to the need for emergency financial assistance, ask: If financial assistance is provided to bring the arrears up to date, how will you manage your monthly expenses in the future? Can this be documented? 5. If the answer to #4 makes sense, explain to client that you will need to write down specific details related to income and expenses. 6. Review financial carefully (use pencil so corrections can be easily made). Go over each line of income sources on the intake form (for all household members) and each line of expenses. Ask if there are regular monthly income/expenses that were not mentioned. Add any additional information. 7. Add up both columns. If the expenses exceed the income, ask how family has been managing. Adjust figures if more information is provided. Continue with this conversation until you feel that you have a complete understanding of the situation--past, present, and future. Do not proceed until this makes sense. 8. Ask to see current (within the last two months) documentation to verify income and expenses. Make copies for client file (highlight dates on bills and income statements). Ask for documentation of emergency (threat of eviction, mortgage notice, etc.) If individual does not have documentation with him/her, inform client that this will be necessary in order to complete the intake process. If documentation has been misplaced, explore how client can get a duplicate copy. The process cannot continue until all information related to the circumstances is verified. 9. If the expenses exceed the income, ask: how has family been managing? Adjust figures if more information is provided. Do not proceed until this makes sense. It is possible that the family/individual is unable to sustain their current situation. Case management, budget counseling, re-examining priorities may be required to develop a new

plan for future self sufficiency. Providing financial assistance without a plan may simply prolong the inevitable consequence. If income exceeds expenses, the question is: why were essential bills not paid? An unforeseen circumstance such as sudden illness, loss of employment, car repairs could explain the answer to this question. If mismanagement of resources appears to be the cause of arrears, the client may not be eligible for financial assistance. Budget counseling/planning or case management might be suggested. 10. If further discussion does not reveal a realistic plan for meeting monthly expenses on an ongoing basis, the client is not a candidate for financial assistance because providing financial assistance for present arrears is not going to change the fact that the household income is insufficient to meet ongoing monthly expenses. At this point, the client may need to look at other options to increase income and/or decrease expenses. Examples may include: get a second (third) job, take in a roommate to raise monthly income, cut back on expenses like moving to cheaper housing, reducing/eliminating expenses (cable, phone, car, etc.). Can other household members work? Are any household members eligible for disability, veterans or public benefits, pension, child support? Back to the drawing board. 11. If a client is a potential candidate for financial assistance, ask for documentation of income (pay stubs, Social Security benefit letter/check, child support order, Section 8 etc), verification of circumstances (termination notice, written eviction pending, foreclosure on mortgage, etc), documentation of unforeseen circumstance that caused arrears (medical leave, car repairs, loss of employment, etc). 12. If emergency is verified and there is a realistic plan for paying monthly expenses following financial assistance, client may be eligible for assistance through Department of Social Services (DSS) and/or Catholic Charities and/or parish. Many of these programs have specific guidelines and income criteria. 13. Clients who are likely to be eligible for public assistance should make that application prior to application for funds through the parish or Catholic Charities. Be sure to ask for written determination from the Department of Social Service.