Valued Partners,
As required by Act 12 of 2019, which amended 62 P.S. § 403.2(a), the General Assistance program will end on August 1, 2019. No General Assistance cash assistance will be dispersed after July 31, 2019. Current General Assistance recipients were notified of this change via mail, but we recognize that there will likely be questions.
If people you work with currently receive or think they qualify for General Assistance, they may qualify for other benefits. Individuals can work with a COMPASS Community Partner or contact their local County Assistance Office or apply online via COMPASS at www.compass.state.pa.us. If you are not a COMPASS Community Partner, more information on registering is available here.
If they are currently receiving other benefits like Medical Assistance or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), those benefits will continue. The Department of Human Services (DHS) will notify clients again before making changes to other benefits for any reason.
People seeking more information can contact the DHS Helpline at 1-800-692-7462. TDD Services are available at 1-800-451-5886.
This change will likely result in an additional need for resources from charitable and social service organizations around the commonwealth. DHS is working closely with our partners to identify potential resources for people affected by this change. As we become aware of additional resources, we will share the information on DHS’ social media pages and through this newsletter.
Thank you for all that you do to help Pennsylvanians in need,
Secretary Miller