Division of Family and Economic Security, Bureau of Working Families

Emergency Assistance Manual

5.2.1 Determining the Payment Amount

The EAEAEmergency Assistance payment must be the lowest of the following:

  1. The maximum payment amount based on emergency type and EA Group size (see chart below); or
  2. The financial need resulting from the emergency (see 5.2.2). 
Emergency Type  EA Group Size

Maximum Payment Amount

Homelessness

Impending homelessness

Fire, flood, natural disaster

 Two to five members

$1,200 per EA Group
Six or more members

$220 per EA Group member
Energy crisis All

$750 per EA Group

EXAMPLE 1: John and Susan applied for EA because they were being evicted due to non-payment of rent. They were determined eligible due to impending homelessness with past-due rent of $1,400. John and Susan have four children, so this would be an EA Group of six people. John and Susan will receive the maximum payment amount of $1,320 ($220 x 6 group members).

EXAMPLE 2: Marlise applied for EA because she received an eviction notice. Marlise has two children. Marlise provided a copy of the eviction notice indicating past due rent of $400. The W-2 agency completed the payment calculation for Impending homelessness, including Marlise’s past due rent of $400 and the EA Group size of three. The payment amount was calculated in the amount of $400 because this is the lesser amount (comparing actual financial need to the maximum payment amount for a household of three at $1,200).