MACON DSS AND NCFAST

*WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE* AS A NEW STATEWIDE COMPUTER DATABASE HAS  BEING IMPLEMENTED IN FOOD & NUTRITION. YOU WILL LIKELY SEE *LONGER WAIT TIMES* TO COMPLETE THE APPLICTION PROCESS*, INCLUDING RECERTIFICATIONS AND RETURNED PHONE CALLS, AS THE DEPARTMENT IS IMPLEMENTING THE NEW STATEWIDE COMPUTER DATA BASE CALLED NCFAST.* *PLEASE BARE WITH US*, AS WE WORK TO ENSURE A MORE TIMELY, EFFICENT, &; ACCURATE METHOD OF DETERMINING  FOOD &; NUTRITION ELIGIBITY. 

You are welcome to wait for an Intake worker to complete your Food and Nutrition application or you may go to www.epass.nc.gov  online on the computer.

 Follow the easy to read instructions, complete application and then submit.

If you require assistance for Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) while using ePASS, please call the FNS Customer Service Center at 1-866-719-0141.

The call center is available 24 hours daily.

GWEN TAYLOR, PIO

WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE

WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE, AS A NEW STATEWIDE COMPUTER DATABASE IS BEING IMPLEMENTED IN  

 FOOD & NUTRITION.

YOU WILL LIKELY SEE LONGER WAIT TIMES

TO COMPLETE THE APPLICTION PROCESS, INCLUDING RECERTIFICATIONS AND RETURNED PHONE CALLS, AS THE DEPARTMENT IS IMPLEMENTING A NEW STATEWIDE COMPUTER DATA BASE CALLED NCFAST.

PLEASE BARE WITH US, AS WE WORK TO ENSURE A MORE TIMELY, EFFICENT, & ACCURATE METHOD OF DETERMING 

 FOOD & NUTRITION ELIGIBITY.

Gwen Taylor PIO

LOW INCOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE (LIEAP)

Macon County Care Network (Care Net) will begin taking applications for the - Low Income Energy Assistance known as LIEAP on Monday, December 3, 2012.  The LIEAP provides a one-time annual vendor payment to help eligible families pay their heating expense.

Beginning December 3^rd:

Only households containing an elderly person age 60 and above or a disabled person receiving SSI, SSA, or VA disability & receiving services through the Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) are eligible to potentially receive benefits from December 3rd through January 31st or until funds are exhausted.   All eligibility requirements must be met which includes income guidelines.

Beginning February 1^st – March 31^st if funds are available:

Those individuals and families with the lowest income and highest relative energy cost are potentially eligible for benefits beginning February 1^st – March 31^st or until funds are exhausted, if all eligibility requirements are met which includes income guidelines.   

Applications will be taken at Macon County Care Network

located at 130 Bidwell Street, Franklin NC

 Monday – Friday from 10 am – 1 pm as long as funds are available.

A signup sheet will be posted by or before

8:00 am outside of Care Net

on the morning of December 3^rd.

After you sign up you may return to your vehicle to wait and names/numbers will be called beginning at 9:30 am to start your application process. 

Clients will be seen beginning at 10:00 am. 

No client names will be added to the sign in sheet after 1:00 pm

All Clients on signup sheet and inside Care Net will be seen that day. 

You will be seen on a first come first serve basis until all funds are exhausted.

No appointments will be made for LIEAP.

No applications will be taken at Macon County DSS.

For more information, please contact

Care Net at 828-369-2642.

Gwen Taylor--Macon County DSS Public Information Officer

Crisis Intervention Program -CIP

The Crisis Intervention Program that has been administered by Macon County DSS will be administered by Carenet this year beginning November 1^st.

Carenet located on 130 Bidwell Street will begin taking applications for the Crisis Intervention Program – CIP beginning November 1^st until funds are exhausted.    Applications will be taken for households needing assistance for their immediate heating needs and to alleviate their heating crisis.  Eligible households must meet criteria for heating assistance.    The target population is that at least someone in the household is 60 or older, or approved disabled or households with a child five (5) years of age or under.   Also there must be one US Citizen in the household and a resident of Macon County. 

The Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) will provide payment to the vendors for eligible households.  Also, required to be eligible households, you must have 10% or less LP gas, 15 inches or less of Fuel Oil/Kerosene or a Disconnect Notice from Duke or Haywood Electric Company.  Those that use wood as a heat source must have less than 1 cord of wood.

The Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) is to resolve the immediate life threatening crisis, only minimum deliveries of 100 lbs. of propane, 100 gallons of fuel oil/kerosene, or 2 cords of wood will be approved. 

There may be other programs to help your family in crisis.  For more information, please contact Carenet at 828-369-2642.  Application will be taken at Carenet Monday – Friday from 10 am – 1 pm as long as funds are available. 

No applications will be taken at Macon County DSS.

Gwen Taylor, Public Information Officer

Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009.

 The ADA is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability.

To serve our deaf and hard of hearing clients, Macon County  DSS complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Macon County DSS has purchased a communications device called UbiDuo.  UbiDuo meets the requirements of the       Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other laws that ensure no individual with a disability shall be treated differently due to the absence of auxiliary aids and services.

If you are hearing impaired and need help in communicating with your worker, please let the front customer service staff know this upon arrival.   They will share this information with the caseworker  who will be assisting you.

Gwen Taylor, Public Information Officer

Crisis Intervention Program (CIP)

The Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) is a

 Federally-funded program that provides

assistance to eligible households that are in a

heating or cooling related emergency. 

The goal of the CIP program is to help families stay

warm in the winter and cool in the summer. 

Benefits may vary based upon the amount needed to alleviate the crisis.  An eligible

household may receive

assistance more than one time during the

 State Fiscal Year (July through June).

The maximum allowed benefit amount can be up to $600 per Household , per crisis situation; however, benefits cannot exceed $600 per State fiscal year.  

At this time Macon Count DSS is accepting applications  for CIP on the disconnect of power bills in a cooling emergency.  It will only pay the disconnect amount.  Remember, this benefit of $600.00 is the maximum amount and will go against any heating emergency that is needed for the winter.

All payments are made directly to the vendor.

A household that applies must:

Þ Have at least one U.S. Citizen or a non-citizen who meets certain eligibility criteria

Þ Meet an income test

Þ Be in a heating or cooling related emergency.

Energy Assistance is important to all that receive it, but more so if someone in your home   may especially be at risk for a life threatening illness or death if their home is too cold in the winter or too hot in the summer.

For More Information Contact 828-349-2124.

Gwen Taylor, Public Information Officer

Outpost Changes

The scheduled out post for Highlands is April 25th.  The date has been changed to Thursday, April 26th.

If you have any questions please contact DSS at 828-349-2124.








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