I went down to Job and Family Services today for a recertification appointment, and as ALWAYS it was packed full of confused people and caseworkers. Every time I go down there I feel like this song.
In order to avoid any unnecessary "circles" when you have any type of appointment with your local public services office, remember these three tips:
1.Find out what documents will be required for the appointment beforehand, and have them handy- This is true in any county, if you do not have the proper documents your caseworker requires, your case can be held up, sometimes even beyond you returning these documents.
Normally you can find what you will need in your appointment letter. Make sure to read over this letter when received, and have the documents available.
2. Pick up all third party forms before the appointment, and have them filled out- Often times determining your benefits will require having forms filled out by third parties to verify your living situation and income. If you are applying for the first time, or you have had a change in either your living expenses or income, its best to pick up these forms at your local agency, and have them filled out by the appropriate parties, in order to be prepared on the date of your appointment.
3. Arrive 15-30 minutes early. Since these agencies serve a great portion of the population, they must set their appointments in "blocks" of time. When you receive your letter, you may be in a group of 10 or more cases that have been scheduled for that time slot.
To make sure you spend the least amount of time for your appointment, arrive and register for your appointment 15-30 minutes early. This puts you towards the top of the list for that time slot.
Dealing with the requirements of Public assistance can be frustrating, but we can alleviate some of it by not causing any extra "circles" for ourselves.
Public Assistance got you going in Circles???
