Wisconsin Statutes 46.81 – Benefit specialist program
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Terms Used In Wisconsin Statutes 46.81
- Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- Following: when used by way of reference to any statute section, means the section next following that in which the reference is made. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
- Population: means that shown by the most recent regular or special federal census. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
- State: when applied to states of the United States, includes the District of Columbia, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the several territories organized by Congress. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
- Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed; "year" alone means "year of our Lord". See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
(1) In this section:
(a) “Aging unit” means an aging unit director and necessary personnel, directed by a county commission on aging and organized as one of the following:
1. An agency of county government with the primary purpose of administering programs of services for older individuals of the county.
2. A unit, within a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22 or 46.23, with the primary purpose of administering programs of services for older individuals of the county.
3. A private corporation that is organized under ch. 181 and that is a nonprofit corporation, as defined in s. 181.0103 (17).
(b) “Area agency on aging” means the agency designated under 42 U.S. Code § 3025 (a) (2) (A).
(c) “Older individual” means an individual who is 60 years of age or older.
(2) From the appropriation account under s. 20.435 (1) (dh), the department shall allocate $2,298,400 in each fiscal year to aging units to provide benefit specialist services for older individuals. The department shall ensure that each aging unit receives funds and shall take into account the proportion of the state‘s population of low-income older individuals who reside in a county.
(3) An aging unit shall use the funds allocated under sub. (2) and federal funds designated for the purpose to provide benefit specialist services to older individuals. Aging units may also use other funds to provide benefit specialist services.
(4) Benefit specialists shall offer information, advice and assistance to older individuals related to individual eligibility for, and problems with, public benefits and services and to health care financing, insurance, housing and other financial and consumer concerns. Benefit specialists shall refer older individuals in need of legal representation to the private bar or other available legal resources.
(5) From the appropriation under s. 20.435 (1) (dh) the department shall allocate $182,500 in each fiscal year to area agencies on aging. Each area agency on aging shall use the funds for training, supervision and legal back-up services for benefit specialists within its area.