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You may apply for Temporary Assistance benefits by printing out an LDSS-2921 application and mailing it to:

ECDSS

PO Box 120

Buffalo, NY 14201-9903

You may also apply for Temporary Assistance benefits in person at:

Erie County Work Center

158 Pearl Street - First Floor

Buffalo, NY 14202

Hours of Operation 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

After you complete your application and submit it you will be advised where to report for further processing. You may also be given a follow up appointment to meet with an Employment Counselor and/or an eligibility worker.

You may be required to provide:

  • verification of identity
  • verification of citizenship status
  • proof of age
  • proof of address
  • household composition information
  • expense information
  • proof of income, resources and employability

You may be required to have your photograph and/or fingerprints taken.

If your case is approved you will be required to recertify on a periodic basis, and you must inform your worker if your income, address or household composition changes.

You will generally receive a decision on your Temporary Assistance application 30 - 45 days after submission. Certification interviews can vary in length depending on individual case circumstances but generally take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours. If an employment screening is required it will require an additional hour to complete.

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