Division of Family and Children Services

A grandmother with three grandchildren had been a little behind on her utilities. She was eligible for the monthly subsidy payment at $50 per grandchild which allowed her to catch up on her utility bill and have a little extra for emergencies. She is now able to keep her bills up-to-date.

A grandmother of three and a great-grandmother of one is 65 years old, disabled, and receives SSI. Upon receiving a letter from her DFCS caseworker about the GRG program, she called to see what it was about. The caseworker explained to her the qualifications of the program and that she may be eligible. The Grandmother explained to the caseworker that she was unable to make her rent payment. She owed her landlord $200.00 for rent because her grandson, who is a teenager, had taken her EBT card and removed $300.00 from it.

She stated that she had other bills that were also behind. The caseworker explained to her that she needed a copy of her past due bills so that she could determine if she would qualify for the CRISP (one-time emergency) payment. The caseworker went to her home to get the verification and discovered her furniture has been repossessed through the rental company. The baby had no bed to sleep in and she had no money to get one. The Grandparent was approved for the CRISP and MSP (Monthly Subsidy Payment). The caseworker visited the grandmother’s home again in order to complete her case review. She now has furniture, her bills are current, and the baby has his own bed.