Accessing Resources: Public Benefits
Federal benefits
The federal benefits available to immigrant survivors are divided into three types,[1] as described in this section of the Toolkit:
- Federal means-tested public benefits open to “qualified immigrants” who also meet additional program requirements
- Federal public benefits open to all “qualified immigrants”
- Services “necessary to protect life and safety” have been exempted from the laws and regulations that govern public benefits. This means that these programs and services must be available to all persons, regardless of immigration status.
Other sections in this Toolkit examine:
- Who is a “qualified immigrant” eligible to apply for the two classes of federal benefits
- The citizenship/immigration verification and reporting requirements that benefits workers must follow when they are processing applications
Tools & Resources
“Family court bench card on immigrant crime victim access to public benefits and services” [note that these lists apply to ALL survivors of not only domestic violence but also of sexual violence, child abuse, elder abuse, stalking, and trafficking] (pages 293-298) in the manual Public Benefits Toolkit.
[1] As governed by these federal welfare laws: PL 104-193 [Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996] and PL 104-208 [Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996].
