As a caseworker at the Fairfield Township Trustee’s Office, sometimes I imagine that I’m the host of a TV reality show that’s something akin to a scavenger hunt. And when clients leave our office with their lengthy checklist in hand, eyes sometimes gleaming with excited anticipation – sometimes glazed over in shock – I’m tempted to say to them, “and the first one back in 72 hours with everything on their list wins! Are you ready? On your mark… get set… GO!”

Obviously, I don’t say this. But when clients come to the Trustee’s office for assistance – usually for help with rent or utilities - sometimes I find myself apologetic, even embarrassed, as I shove form after form under their noses for them to sign or have filled out. I explain, as clearly and as kindly as I can, the reasons we ask for the information that we do. Sometimes I try to lighten the mood with a little well-timed humor. But for our clients, the Trustee’s office is often a last resort. They’re desperate. They’re tired – both emotionally and physically. They’re frustrated and humbled by their present circumstances and embarrassed to ask for help.

Often, they have waited until the last possible moment, exhausted all other options, and they need help – now. And now we’re asking nosey questions, prying into their finances – and, to add insult to injury, asking them to produce a mountain of paperwork, preferably before their first appointment.

In addition to the usual documentation required by nearly all offices, public or private, that offer financial assistance (birth certificates, SS cards, picture IDs, signed lease agreement, proof of income for the past 30 days), our checklist includes such things as state and federal tax returns, bank statements, and printouts from other offices of the benefits that our clients are receiving. If they are not receiving assistance that they might be eligible for, we ask them to apply for it. In addition, we have forms that are exclusive to this office, based on Indiana Code as well as the Township Standards that require information and signatures from landlords, doctors and employers.

We try to expedite this process for our clients when possible, making phone calls and faxing forms so that we can “divide and conquer” the list. We assure our clients that the list need not be completed by their initial appointment, usually made within 48 hours of their picking up an application. We advise them that we can give them an additional 72 hours (three working days) to complete the task – and that, under some circumstances we can even give them an additional 72-hour extension beyond that. Indiana Code is very specific regarding assistance requirements – as well as reasons for denial. We are bound by that code. But we also know that there is an optimum amount of effort we can expect from our clients that gives us the information we need and the reassurance that taxpayers money is not being wasted - without completely discouraging our clients. Most importantly, we want to be able to actually help those clients who truly need our assistance in a timely fashion, before they are evicted or their lights are shut off.

Even still, sometimes our clients complain. Sometimes they don’t show up for their appointments. Why? Our clients often lack vision and organizational skills. They might not keep receipts. They might not have a car – or the extra cash for gas or for public transportation to gather the documentation we require. If their goal is to “get by”  in life with minimal effort, they might even consider the process itself to be too much work! In any case, the checklist that we give to our clients – with items they need to provide to our office – can be overwhelming.

But what is the purpose of this assignment? If it’s not to weed out the weak-spirited and bring the remainder of the applicants to their knees in gratitude for our benevolence (which it is not), then what is our goal? What are we looking for in the mountain of documentation that we request?

The first thing we look for is evidence of need. How much income have they received in the past 30 days? What expenses have they incurred in the past 30 days? What recurring expenses do they have? How many people are in the household? Are there extenuating circumstances that have created an emergency need? Are there medical issues that inhibit our clients’ ability to support themselves? We are tasked, by Indiana Code, to attend to the needs of the “poor” in Fairfield Township. As administrator of township public assistance, the township Trustee is responsible for the “oversight and care of all poor individuals in the township.” We determine that need through review of documents from employers, Social Security Administration, the Department of Workforce Development, and other sources.

We also look for evidence of effort. Have they maintained gainful employment? If not, why? Have they applied for government programs that they are eligible for? Have they complied with those programs? Have they exhausted all other avenues of assistance – including family members? Our “motto,” if you will, is that we will work as hard as our clients do to take care of their basic needs. Of course there are those clients who are either temporarily or permanently disabled, and who are incapable of taking care of themselves. Some of them need to be referred to other agencies for mental health assessments or for assistance that is beyond the scope of our office.

We look for evidence of wasted resources. Have they paid for their basic needs first? Have they made unnecessary purchases? Are they paying for services that are considered by our Standards to be unnecessary – like cable TV, cell phone bills, rent-to-own items or storage units? This is a tough one. While we are not personally judgmental of these purchases (and I know I would rather go for a day without food than go for a day without my cell phone), we are again bound by Indiana Code to view any purchases or payments that are not basic needs as “wasted resources.” Such expenses might be deducted from our amount of assistance. Moreover, we would certainly hesitate to pay an applicant’s rent when we see a big-screen TV purchase on last month’s bank statement. Major evidence of “wasted resources” is even a legitimate reason for denial of assistance. We also consider the time frame. If a client is suddenly faced with a huge medical expense or an unexpected job loss, we don’t necessarily hold him accountable for frivolous purchases made in the weeks or months prior to that event.

Finally, we look for evidence of truthfulness. Have they committed welfare fraud? Have they answered questions (in our application and in the interview) truthfully?

If applicants have “altered facts” for the sake of receiving Food Stamp or TANF benefits and have been convicted of Welfare Fraud, we must deny them. If they have been denied assistance or sanctioned by any government agency for fraud or for non-compliance, we are also bound by Indiana Code to deny assistance. Just as importantly, we expect our clients to tell us the truth. If they knowingly and willfully falsify information, misrepresent the facts or withhold vital information, they may be denied. Such deceit is hard to prove and often overlooked, of course – and sometimes the better course of action is simply to give the applicant an opportunity to “change his story” and use the experience as a learning opportunity.

The Fairfield Township Standards and Guidelines contain 25 pages of detail about the application process, assistance provisions, verification procedures, eligibility determination, and reasons for denial. In addition, there are over 60 printed pages of relevant Indiana Code, on which our Standards are based. While our assistance guidelines are lengthy and specific, they are subject to interpretation – both at the individual township level as well as the individual caseworker level. It would be relatively easy to find legitimate reasons to deny assistance to the majority of our applicants – if we wanted to. We don’t. For the sake of our clients, we try to process each case in 7 to 10 days, start to finish. In an emergency, we are able to make determinations in less than 24 hours. And when clients are focused and make the effort to bring everything on their “checklist” to their first appointment, we will sometimes make a determination that same day. Do we get all of the facts all of the time? No. Are we sometimes deceived? Undoubtedly. Do we let personal judgments and interpretations guide the process? We try not to.

My personal perspective is that I want to help every one who walks into the Trustee’s office. Sometimes that means referring them to another agency. Sometimes it means that they have to “jump through all of our hoops” – just to be denied. But I always issue the denial with compassion and a list of other options. Denying assistance to a client, at any stage, is the hardest part of my job. But every denial holds within it the opportunity to learn more about other agencies and other resources in this community so that I am better prepared to help the next client. And when I am privileged to assist a client and I know that they and their family will have a roof over their heads or their lights on – for at least the rest of this month – it gives me the greatest satisfaction.

I try, too, to look at the bigger picture. Why is this client having trouble maintaining a job? Why are they constantly running out of money? When I am able to, I try to go the extra mile for my clients. We all do. We assist clients with Social Security Disability appeals. We act as Representative Payees for clients who receive Social Security benefits and need help managing their finances. We write job referral letters. We refer clients to the Tippecanoe Community Health Clinic for prescription assistance. We call banks and beg for overdraft fees to be reversed. We call utility companies and beg for late fees and deposits to be waived or reduced. I recently helped a client - who used a pair of pliers to pull her own rotten teeth - get free dentures.

The Trustee’s office is not a reality TV show. But it is reality. It’s harsh reality. We see clients sometimes at the lowest point in their lives. Our job is not to belittle or berate them or to add an extra burden. Our job is to help raise them up.