Official Wapello County Website

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General assistance

Wapello County General Assistance shall be provided to residents of this county as mandated by the Code of Iowa, Section 252.25. The purpose and policy of such provisions of relief where appropriate, is to direct the applicant in removing barriers to self-sufficiency and economic self-support to prevent, reduce, or eliminate dependency

Who Qualifies
Wapello County General Assistance provides emergency payments and/or vouchers to needy and poor people in need of immediate assistance or people who cannot obtain assistance from any other source. Assistance may be provided to an individual that has income or benefits delayed from a state/federal program or not actually received because of reasons not attributable to the person, and who does not have liquid assets of the family unit to pay for the items of assistance that can be provided.

To qualify a person must:

  • Be a resident of Wapello County
  • Be at least 18 years of age
  • Meet current income and resource guidelines

 

Types of Assistance

There are three kinds of assistance in Wapello County

  • Emergency assistance for needy persons,
  • Assistance for poor persons,
  • Assistance for an extended nature.
 
  • Contact Information

    Jennifer Robbins

    Address:
    110 E. Main
    Ottumwa, IA 52501

    Phone: (641) 683-4576
    Fax: (641) 683-8370
    mandy.ebelsheiser@scbhr.net

    Hours:
    Monday – Friday
    8:00am – 4:30pm

 
About Wapello County

Wapello County was created on February 17, 1843 from Unorganized Territory. The county opened at midnight on April 30, 1843 with several hundred eager settlers camped along the eastern border. At the sound of a shotgun, they

raced towards the “New Purchase” to make their claim. Many conflicts arose over the hastily made boundary lines, which were usually settled peaceably by the claim committees. Within a month 5,000 people lived in Wapello County.