Essential Person benefits (EP). You may receive small monthly cash assistance if you are a low-income disabled person and you have someone living with you who helps care for you and is also low-income. Apply through Vermont Department of Children and Families (DCF) Economic Services Division (1-800-287-0589).


General Assistance (GA). GA can give a little spending money each month (about $60), plus help with utilities, room and board, or partial rent payments. You should be able to get monthly GA if you are unable to work for 30 days and have no other money. Apply through Vermont Department of Children and Families (DCF) Economic Services Division (1-800-287- 0589).


Social Security. If you are disabled and under age 65, you can get monthly Social Security Disability payments (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income payments (SSI). Whether you get SSDI, SSI, or some of each, depends on how much you have worked in your life and what other income and property you have. If you are over age 62 you can get Social Security payments when you retire from work. There are also monthly payments available in some cases for the children, spouse, or divorced spouse of a worker who has become disabled, blind, or has died. Apply through the Social Security Administration (1-800-772-1213).


Unemployment Compensation. Unemployment Compensation provides money to replace part of your lost wages for up to 26 weeks if you have been laid off from your job, if your work hours have been severely reduced, or in some cases if you quit or were fired. Whether you are eligible for unemployment benefits depends on many factors including how long you worked, how much you were paid over a particular period of time, and why you were terminated. Apply through the Vermont Department of Employment and Training (1-877-214-3330).


Veterans’ Benefits. Monthly VA payments are available to disabled, blind, or elderly military veterans and their children, spouses, widows, or widowers. You may qualify for benefits even if the disability is partial or is not connected to time in the service. You can also get help paying for medical expenses. In some cases, you can get benefits even if you have a significant amount of other income. Apply at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (1-800-827-1000).


Renters Rebate and Homeowners Rebate. Vermont has significant rebates available for homeowners and renters who are low income. If you paid rent or paid property tax, you can be eligible for a rebate, even if you


68 On Your Own, 2008 Edition


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