CHARLESTON – The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Bureau for Children and Families will begin accepting school clothing allowance applications on July 1, 2021, for eligible children enrolled in West Virginia schools. Each eligible child will receive a $200 benefit that may be used toward the purchase of appropriate school clothing or piece goods for families who sew clothing for their children.
The following 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 (SNAP) benefits, are enrolled in school and whose household income is under 130% of the Federal Poverty Level.
Families who received school clothing allowance in 2020 and currently have Medicaid coverage should receive a school clothing allowance program application by mail in late June.
Others may be eligible for school clothing allowance benefits, but the monthly income for a family of four may not exceed $2,839. Verification of income for July must be submitted with the application.
Income guidelines for 2021 are:
| No. of Persons in Household | Income Limit | No. of Persons in Household | Income Limit |
| 1 | $1,383 | 6 | $3,809 |
| 2 | $1,868 | 7 | $4,295 |
| 3 | $2,353 | 8 | $4,780 |
| 4 | $2,839 | 9 | $5,266 |
| 5 | $3,324 | 10 | $5,752 |
Families may apply online at www.wvpath.org or request a paper application be mailed to them by contacting their local DHHR office or by calling 1-877-716-1212. Applications must be received by July 31, 2021.
School clothing allowance program recipients will receive an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card in place of the traditional paper voucher. This system change allows 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 can process debit/credit card transactions. Parents or guardians of children in foster care will receive the school clothing allowance benefit as a check.
Those needing to update their address may do so at www.wvpath.org or by calling DHHR’s Customer Service Center at 1-877-716-1212.
