Due to a statewide system outage affecting multiple state agencies and services, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ Bureau for Family Assistance has extended the deadline for accepting School Clothing Allowance applications for eligible children enrolled in West Virginia schools.
Applications through WV PATH must be received by 5 p.m. Aug. 12. Families may apply online at www.wvpath.org. A paper application may be requested by contacting a local DHHR office or by calling 1-877-716-1212. Paper applications must be postmarked by Aug. 12 to qualify.
Each eligible child will receive a $200 benefit that may be used toward the purchase of school clothing or piece goods for families who sew clothing for their children.
The following groups will automatically receive School Clothing Allowance benefits for each school-age child in the home by the end of June:
Families with school-age children who currently receive WV WORKS cash assistance;
Parents or guardians of children in foster care;
Children ages 4-18 who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, are enrolled in school and whose household income is under 130% of the Federal Poverty Level; and
Families who received School Clothing Allowance in 2021 and currently have Medicaid coverage should have received a School Clothing Allowance application by U.S. Mail in late June.
Others may be eligible for School Clothing Allowance benefits based on the monthly income limits by household size as listed below. Verification of income for July must be submitted with the application.
Monthly income limits for the program are as follows (number of persons in household, income limit); one, $1,396; two, $1,888; three, $2,379; four, $2,871; five, $3,363; six, $3,855; seven, $4,347; eight, $4,839; nine, $5,331; and 10, $5,823.
School Clothing Allowance recipients will receive an Electronic Benefits Transfer card in place of the traditional paper voucher. This system change was implemented in 2021 to allow for both online transactions and increased choice of vendors when purchasing school clothing or piece goods. The EBT card will operate like a debit card and can be used at any retailer who accepts EBT cash transactions. If the merchant does not accept EBT cash transactions, the benefit can be withdrawn as cash at a QUEST ATM to complete the purchase. Parents or guardians of children in foster care will receive the School Clothing Allowance benefit as a check.
