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4Trustee
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Looking for answers to your questions? Check these first - we may have answered them for you! |
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1. Who is the Trustee & What are the
Trustee's Responsibilities? Center Township Trustee, Carl L. Drummer, is an elected governmental official, who is by Indiana law, Overseer of the Poor. He is assisted in his duties by a staff of caseworkers and other support personnel. His duties and responsibilities are set forth in Indiana Code 12-20-1-1 et seq. The Trustee is responsible for helping poor persons in Center Township only. The information on this website applies just to Center Township of Marion County, Indiana. Rules and procedures in other townships may be different.
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back to top 2. What are the boundaries of Center Township? [view map] Center Township is the CENTER SQUARE of Marion County (Indianapolis). The boundaries are 38th street to the north, Belmont Avenue on the west, Emerson Avenue on the east and Troy Avenue on the south. If your address is outside of Center Township, you will have to apply for assistance in your home township.
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back to top 3. How do I contact the Trustee's Office? The Township Assistance Operations Building Building is located at 863 Massachusetts Avenue. Our telephone number is 317-633-3610. We have voice-mail for nights and weekends to record your calls. Applications for assistance are normally taken at the office from 7AM to 3PM. However, we will take your application as late as 5PM if you are employed during the day. If you are disabled and homebound, please call the office and we can send out a caseworker to take your application 317-633-3610 ext 285.
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back to top 4. What Kind of Assistance is available? Housing - rent or mortgage/contract payments. Sleeping rooms, shelters or missions are available depending on household size and likely length of assistance needed. Utilities/Fuel - We can assist with current bills, in your name, at your current address Food - for households not receiving food stamps. The Trustee will not supplement food stamps except for specific emergencies, i.e. theft, spoilage and special medical dietary requirements. Household Supplies - items necessary for cleaning and personal hygiene. Clothing - if needed for employment, school, health or common decency. In August, we have a special program for children enrolled in grades K-12. Private schools are not eligible. Transportation - to maintain employment until receipt of first paycheck, or for medical necessity. Burials - for deceased indigents. Traveler's Aid - Those stranded in Indianapolis, without money, the Trustee can help once with a tank of gasoline or a bus ticket to your legal residence. Payee Representative Program - applicants who are eligible to receive SSI, but are unable to manage their income.
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back to top 5. Who is eligible for Township Assistance? In order to be eligible to receive Township Assistance, you must meet the following requirements:
If we cannot assist you, we will always try to provide you with information/referrals to an agency or organization that may be able to provide the help you need.
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back to top 6. What information must I have to apply?
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back to top 7. How do I apply for assistance? To apply for assistance from Center Township, you must come to our office and fill out the application form, and then a caseworker will interview you. The application is a legal affidavit and must state your situation as accurately and completely as possible. There are criminal penalties for deliberately giving false information. The head of the household usually signs applications. No appointments are necessary (or given); applications are taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
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back to top 8. What happens after the application? If you have an immediate or emergency nee such as food, shelter or prescriptions, the Trustee can give you help that same day. In most situations, however it will be necessary to make a home visit before assistance can be granted. If a decision cannot be made on your case at the time you apply, you will be given a "Notice of Pending Case Form" which will tell you when your home visit will be made and what additional paperwork you will have to have ready for the caseworker. If the Trustee's Office determines you are not eligible for assistance, you will be given a "Notice of Poor Relief Action" which is a written statement explaining the decision and the reasons for it. It also explains how to appeal our decision.
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back to top 9. What is a "Family Eligibility Analysis?" It is just a review of your recent financial situation. First, we look at your income and assets for the preceding month. Then, we compare it with the Monthly Maximum income Allowed." Then, we look at the receipts of how you spent your money, and we also look at the unpaid bills that are due. We will then help with the basic necessities of life if you can show that you cannot pay (or arrange) for them. We may ask your relatives to help out or we may refer you to another agency for the needed assistance.
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back to top 10. What happens at a home visit? A caseworker comes out to your residence to further discuss your situation and to check the papers that perhaps you did not have when you first applied. Home visits are ususally made the next morning after you apply. In mot cases, the caseworker will make a decision at the time of the home visit to either recommend assistance or to deny it. If the assistance is authorized, the caseworker will instruct you to return to the office to pickup or sign the "vouchers" (purchase orders) for the approved assistance. The caseworker will also check out the condition of your housing. The Trustee will not pay rent or utilities for housing that does not meet basic health and safety codes.
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back to top 11. Why does the Trustee's Office require so much paperwork? The Trustee must be accountable to the taxpayers of Center Township, which requires extensive documentation to ensure assistance is provided accurately and appropriately. Also, the required information is necessary for this office to understand your situation and for audit purposes.
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back to top 12. How long does it take to get assistance? By law, the Trustee has at the most only 72 hours, or three business days, to make a decision on your application. The applicant has the same amount of time to provide the information required to determine your assistance.
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back to top 13. What is expected of a person receiving Township assistance? Township Assistance is designed for emergency situations, which are temporary. Therefore, any member of the household receiving assistance is required to apply for other forms of aid, such as food stamps, TANF, Social Security, Unemployment Compensation, Veterans Benefits, Medicaid or Medicare. By law, all recipients of Township assistance must seek and accept employment unless they are: disabled, a minor, over-65 or caring for another person. We will also require current proof of your inability to work and may also monitor your search for employment. We will refer all unemployed (but able-bodied) clients to the employment services department for resume development, job search and pre-employment training. In some cases a client may be assigned to do workfare. If you fail to complete workfare requirements or all of your assignments, you will be ineligible for further assistance.
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back to top 14. How long can assistance continue? Township assistance is designed for short-term emergencies. We will only issue (at the most) one month's assistance at a time. If it seems likely that your need for assistance may continue, you will be assigned a regular caseworker. You will then have to return each time to request additional assistance.
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back to top 15. What if I am denied assistance? You have 15 days to file an appeal if you are not satisfied with our decision. The "Notice of Poor Relief Action," which gives the reason you were denied, also tells you how to appeal. You may file your request for an appeal either in person or by mail with the Poor Relief Hearing Officer in Room 120, City-County Building. You will then be given a date and time for the appeal hearing. Your explanation and the Trustee's explanation will be heard in al informal setting, at the 863 Massachusetts Avenue address. The Hearing Officer is bound to use the same Poor Relief Standards that the Trustee uses. You can bring additional documents and witnesses to the hearing to help prove your case. Legal counsel or anybody else you choose can represent you. The hearings are informal and more like a re-examination of your situation rather than a formal court trial. The Hearing Officer will issue a decision within five days of your appeal hearing. if the decision is in your favor, the Trustee will provide (or continue) the assistance that the Hearing Officer orders.
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back to top 16. How do I report cheating on Township Assistance? Please call and ask to speak to someone in Administration. You do not have to give your name. We take these calls very seriously. we will investigate the allegations, and if accurate, discontinue the assistance. We may refer the case to the Prosecutor's Office for legal action.
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back to top 17. How can I find out more about the Trustee's Procedures and policies? The Trustee has a written set of guidelines called the Poor Relief Standards, which have been approved by the seven-member elected Township Board. These Poor Relief Standards are available for your inspection at the Trustee's Office. They are also available for sale for the nominal fee of $4.00, which covers reproduction costs. |
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Township
Assistance: 863 Massachusetts Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46204 /
phone: (317) 633-3610; fax: (317) 633-7304 |
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Copyright
©
2005 Center Township Trustee
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