General Assistance is a state-funded cash assistance program for adults without children who cannot support themselves because of a serious physical or mental disability. Each adult must meet disability criteria as determined through the state's disability determination process called Presumptive Medical Disability Determination.
The program is time-limited to 24 months per person; however, assistance is continued for those who have an ongoing pending application for Social Security benefits (including appeal process). Recipients must pursue federal Social Security disability benefits. Most recipients are awaiting decisions on applications for Social Security benefits. Twenty-six percent of the state's annual General Assistance expenditures are reimbursed by the federal government when SSI benefits are approved. The average monthly benefit is $158. Persons who qualify for this transitional cash assistance program may receive either Federal Medicaid coverage or state-funded health services through the MediKan program.
| General Assistance | |
| Average Monthly Persons | 4,613 |
| Actual Expenditures---SFY 2006 | $8,748,432 |
| State Funds | $8,748,432 |