Department of Social and Health Services. The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) offers a number of programs, including administering a number of public benefit programs, including the Aged, Blind, or Disabled Cash Assistance Program (ABD) and determining eligibility for a referral to the Essential Needs and Housing Referral Program (HEN).
Aged, Blind, or Disabled Cash Assistance Program. ABD is a state-funded program that provides cash assistance and a referral to HEN to eligible low-income individuals who are age 65 or older, blind or determined likely to meet Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability criteria based on an impairment or impairments expected to last at least 12 consecutive months. This program provides maximum monthly cash grants of $417 for a single individual, or $528 for a married couple. ABD recipients are also eligible for assistance applying for SSI benefits.
ABD is available to Washington residents who are:
Essential and Housing Needs Referral Program. HEN is a state-funded program that provides access to essential needs items, and potential rental assistance for low-income individuals who are unable to work for at least 90 days due to a physical or mental incapacity, or both. While DSHS determines eligibility for the referral to the HEN program, actual eligibility for rental assistance and essential needs items is determined by the Department of Commerce (Commerce) through a network of homeless and homeless prevention service providers, including local governments.
HEN may include limited rent and utility assistance, move-in costs, personal health and hygiene items, cleaning supplies, and transportation assistance.
The entity administering HEN shall give first priority for a HEN referral to clients who are homeless, and second priority to clients who would be at substantial risk of losing stable housing without housing support. The entities must use HEN funds as flexibly as is practical to provide essential needs items and housing support to HEN recipients.
A HEN referral may be available for Washington residents who:
A person may receive both HEN and ABD benefits concurrently while they have an application pending for federal SSI benefits. The monetary value of ABD benefits that is subsequently duplicated by the person's receipt of SSI for the same period, those ABD benefits are considered a debt due to the state and must be repaid.
A number of changes and clarifications are made to the HEN and ABD programs, including: