Maine Revised Statutes Title 22. Health and Welfare § 4317. Use of potential resources

An applicant or recipient must make a good faith effort to secure any potential resource that may be available, including, but not limited to, any state or federal assistance program, employment benefits, governmental or private pension programs, available trust funds, support from legally liable relatives, child-support payments and jointly held resources where the applicant or recipient share may be available to the individual. Assistance may not be withheld pending receipt of such resource as long as application has been made or good faith effort is being made to secure the resource.

An individual applying for or receiving assistance due to a disability must make a good faith effort to make use of any medical and rehabilitative resources that may be recommended by a physician, psychologist or other professional retraining or rehabilitation specialist that are available without financial burden and would not constitute further physical risk to the individual.

An applicant who refuses to utilize potential resources without just cause, after receiving a written 7-day notice, is disqualified from receiving assistance until the applicant has made a good faith effort to secure the resource.

An applicant who forfeits receipt of or causes reduction in benefits from another public assistance program because of fraud, misrepresentation or a knowing or intentional violation of program rules or a refusal to comply with program rules without just cause is not eligible to receive general assistance to replace the forfeited assistance for the duration of the forfeiture.

An applicant who is found to be ineligible for unemployment compensation benefits because of a finding of fraud by the Department of Labor pursuant to Title 26, section 1051, subsection 1 is ineligible to receive general assistance to replace the forfeited unemployment compensation benefits for the duration of the forfeiture established by the Department of Labor.