General Assistance
Hours & Appointments
The Town of Scarborough Social Service department offers a General Assistance (GA) program to assist eligible residents, who are unable to provide for their household, with basic necessities. Eligibility is determined according to state overall maximums and allowances. GA is administered in accordance with the Town of Scarborough Ordinance and Maine State Statute, Chapter 22. Please also see the Income Maximums documentation for more information.
The program provides confidential financial assistance to Scarborough residents who are having difficulty meeting basic needs for shelter, food, non-food, fuel, utility payments, and medical expenses. General Assistance is designed to be the program of “last resort.” The department works with clients to self-sustain, utilizing a myriad of social services within Cumberland County. The program is funded by local property taxes with 70% reimbursement from the state. All assistance is granted in voucher form to local merchants. The Town works with applicants to ensure that appropriate community referrals are made to support services.
Hours of Operation
Monday – Thursday: 7:00am – 11:00am & 1:00pm – 5:00pm.
Please contact Katie Wilcox at (207) 450-5621 or by email at ga@scarboroughmaine.org.
Appointments are generally scheduled within a week of the phone call. We do not take “walk-in” appointments. A first-time appointment will include a screening over the phone to ensure basic eligibility requirements are met and that the individual knows what documents/paperwork to bring to an appointment. Appointments are generally 30 to 60 minutes long depending on the issue. It is important that you show up on-time for your appointments. If you are more than 15 minutes late, your appointment will be rescheduled as to not cause a backup with other people’s scheduled appointments. The Town is required to have someone available 24 hours a day to make applications in an emergency. If this is a life-threatening emergency and the office is closed, please contact Scarborough Police at 207-883-6361.
The Importance of Utilizing Resources
It is important that an applicant use their income for basic necessities. If an applicant chooses to spend their income on non-basic items, they may not be eligible for GA. Applicants must apply for and use all other resources available:
- TANF & other DHHS programs
- LI-HEAP
- Unemployment Benefits
- Subsidized Housing programs
- Government assisted programs & community resources
- Federal food supplements
- Support from legally liable relatives
- Maine Care/Medicaid/Medicare
- Income Tax Refunds
What to Bring with you when you Apply
- Photo Identification (for all adults in household)
- Social Security Cards (for entire household)
- Birth Certificates (for all children in household)
- Passport/Visa (if not US citizen)
- Signed lease/rental agreement
- Bank statements for the past 30 days
- Proof of ALL household income (paystubs, TANF, SSA award letters, child support, unemployment, etc.)
- Medical documentation (if experiencing hardship form medical reasons)
- Utility bills (if seeking help with them)
- Work related expenses
- Receipts for the past 30 days (repeat applicants only)
- Correspondence from Social Security
- Correspondence from Department of Health & Human Services
- EBT card (if you have one)
- Immigration paperwork
- I-589 (a-receipt) (if applying for asylum)
If you have questions pertaining to social services in the area, please feel free to call us at 207-450-5621.
The Town of Scarborough Social Services thanks the businesses, organizations and volunteers in the community who reach out with a helping hand to assist those in need during the holidays and throughout the year. Your assistance and kindness is recognized and greatly appreciated.
Important Links
Below, you'll find direct links to vital assistance programs designed to help residents during times of need. Whether you're seeking housing support, emergency food resources, crisis intervention, or other critical services, these links will connect you with the appropriate programs and organizations ready to provide immediate assistance. Our goal is to ensure every resident can easily access the help they need when they need it most.