Economic Support Division

The Economic Support Division determines eligibility for and administers the major federal and state-funded financial aid programs for low-income families and persons.  Several programs are operated in cooperation with the Wisconsin Works (W-2) program, which is administered in Milwaukee County by private organizations under contract with the State.  These programs include:

• FoodShare (previously known as Food Stamps)
• Medical insurance programs such as Medicaid (also known as Title 19) for poor families, Healthy Start for pregnant women and mothers with young children and BadgerCare for working families
• Childcare, which helps pay for day care to children of working parents.

Applicants need not be in W-2 to qualify for these programs.

Apply on-line or report changes!

www.access.wisconsin.gov

In addition, the Economic Support Division determines eligibility for the Family Care program, which is administered by the Milwaukee County Department on Aging.

The Division also manages:

• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) which helps low-income households pay their heating and elecric bills in the winter.
• Interim Disability Assistance Program (IDAP) which provides cash assistance to persons who are unable to work due to a handicap while their applications for federal disability benefits are pending.
• Refugee Assistance to help immigrants settle during their first eight months in the United States.
• Emergency Assistance (provided through the Red Cross) to aid families made homeless by a house fire or other calamity; and
• Burial assistance for persons who die indigent.

Besides authorizing day care payments for working parents, the Division certifies in-home family childcare providers, monitors them for quality and oversees the payments to all day care centers in Milwaukee County.  The Division has a Fraud Detection unit which investigates allegations of fraud in the benefit programs and a Benefit Recovery staff that recoups FoodShare, medical and childcare payments to recipients and providers to which they are not entitled.

To apply for services, please call 649-3080

or

visit the Robles Center at 1673 S. 9th Street.