Auxiliary Grant

The following tips may be helpful to adults applying for AG.

1. If you are aged, blind or disabled and low income, please apply for Social Security Income (SSI) with the Social Security Administration (SSA). This process can take up to three months or more for approval. This will be a requirement if you never have filed. If you were receiving SSI and were in jail or in a nursing home, your payments may have stopped or been reduced. Notify SSA immediately that your circumstances have changed and you plan to enter into an Assisted Living Facility.
2. Prior to application make sure that you have an assessment scheduled with a qualified assessor. This process can take anywhere from 30 days to two months because of the demand for assessments. If you had an assessment done, make sure it is not more than 90 days old.
3. Make sure you submit the application in the right locality. The locality would be where you last lived prior to entering an institution.
4. Make sure you completed the right application. An AG application is called an “Application for Benefits”. It is not a Medicaid application. For example, if a person lives in Henrico he would apply at Henrico Department of Social Services.
5. Submit the application to the eligibility unit of the local department of social services.
6. Make sure you have all necessary documentation that may be needed along with your application. These documents may include proof of income, bank accounts, personal assets, (e.g. cars, property, land etc.), proof of identity, citizenship and social security number. A checklist will be given during the application process.
7. If you enter a facility you are considered to be a private pay resident until your AG application is approved. The local department has 45 days to process your application and can be sooner if you have provided the information listed above.
8. While waiting on the application approval, begin looking for facilities that take AG payments. There are a limited number of providers that accept AG. An AG facility list is posted monthly on this page.

Room and Board

• Provision of a furnished room in a facility that meets applicable building and fire safety codes.
• Housekeeping services based on the needs of the resident.
• Meals and snacks, including extra portions and special diets.
• Clean bed linens and towels as needed by the resident and at least once a week.

Maintenance and Care

• Minimal assistance with personal hygiene, including bathing, dressing, oral hygiene, hair grooming and shampooing, care of clothing, shaving, care of toenails and fingernails, arranging for haircuts as needed, care of needs associated with menstruation or occasional bladder or bowel incontinence.
• Medication administration as required by licensing regulations, including insulin injections.
• Provision of generic personal toiletries, including soap and toilet paper.
• Minimal assistance with the following: care of personal possessions; care of personal funds if requested by the recipient and residence policy allows it; use of telephone; arranging transportation; obtaining necessary personal items and clothing; making and keeping appointments; and correspondence.
• Securing health care and transportation when needed for medical treatment.
• Providing social and recreational activities as required by licensing regulations.
• General supervision for safety.

Before an individual can receive assistance from the AG Program, the individual applying for AG must have resided in Virginia voluntarily for a minimum of 90 days to meet the Virginia residency requirement. An individual’s residence is the city or county within the state where the individual last resided outside of an institution or an adult foster care home. If the individual does not have residence in a Virginia locality or it cannot be determined where the individual last resided, the locality where the assisted living facility, adult foster care home, or supportive housing setting is located is the individual’s place of residence.

Residency exception: Individuals who have moved to Virginia to join a close relative who has lived in Virginia for at least 90-days do not have to meet the 90-day residency requirement. A close relative is limited to parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, spouse or child. Verification will be required.

Individuals applying for AG must submit a written statement of intent to remain in Virginia form. Residency is verified by using one of the following documents:

• Postmarked letters
• Public utility records or credit accounts
• Voter registration records
• Home or apartment lease
• Medical bills; or
• State or federal tax records

To be eligible for an AG in Virginia, an individual must meet all of the following:

• Be 65 or over or be blind or be disabled.
• Be a Virginia Resident or meet the exception
• Reside in a licensed assisted living facility, approved adult foster care home, or approved supportive housing setting.
• Be a citizen of the United States or an alien who meets specified criteria.
• Have a non-exempted (countable) income less than the total of the AG rate approved for the assisted living facility plus the personal needs allowance.
• Have non-exempted resources less than $2,000 for one person or $3,000 for a couple.
• Have been assessed and determined to need the appropriate level of care.

AG benefits are paid by the local department of social services where recipient residency has been established. Checks are mailed directly to the recipient or a payee, who in turn pays the provider.