Effective Dates: 10/18/2023 - Present Previous | Next

SI BOS00830.650 Refugee Reception and Placement Grants

A. Background

Refugee Reception and Placement (R&P) grants are provided by the Department of State (DS). R&P funds are granted to refugee resettlement agencies (voluntary agencies) throughout the United States that provide services related to initial resettlement of new refugees.

The agreement between the DS and the voluntary agencies requires those agencies to use the R&P funds to provide, or ensure that the refugees assigned to them are provided with the following basic needs:

  1. 1. 

    Decent, safe, and sanitary housing;

  2. 2. 

    Essential furnishings;

  3. 3. 

    Food or a food allowance and other basic necessities;

  4. 4. 

    Necessary clothing;

  5. 5. 

    Referral to appropriate health programs and screening;

  6. 6. 

    Assistance in applying for Social Security cards;

  7. 7. 

    Assistance in registering children for school;

  8. 8. 

    Transportation to job interviews and job training.

R&P funds, and/or services provided that are paid for with those funds, are usually received by the refugees during the first 30 days after their arrival. Based on the 2003 agreement between the DS and the voluntary agencies, the agencies are granted $400.00 per refugee, to cover payments they make to or on behalf of the refugees to meet the basic needs shown above. This amount could change in the future.

B. Policy

Cash and in-kind items funded by R&P grants and administered by voluntary agencies are excluded as social services in accordance with SI 00815.050.

NOTE: Refugee Matching Grants are provided by the Department of Health and Human Services. Procedures described in SI 00830.650C must be used to determine whether income from Matching Grants is countable for SSI purposes. (The total R&P cash and value of in-kind items will not always equal $400.00, since a portion of the R&P allocation for the refugee may be used for items not included for ISM purposes; e.g., the voluntary agency may use a portion to purchase furniture directly from a vendor.)

C. Procedure

Refugees will receive a form (Example 1) from the voluntary agency providing assistance, verifying that the assistance provided was funded by R&P grant money. The refugee should present this form to the FO when applying for SSI, and it can be used as verification that the assistance provided is R&P. If the SSI applicant does not have the form in the applicant's possession and alleges assistance from a voluntary agency, contact the agency to ascertain the funding of the assistance. Document the file with a Report of Contact.

Example 1:

View In PDF

D. References

Medical and Social Services, Related Cash, and In-Kind Items, SI 00815.050

Refugee Reception and Placement Grants and Refugee Matching Grants, SI 00830.650

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0500830650BOS
SI BOS00830.650 - Refugee Reception and Placement Grants - 10/18/2023
Batch run: 10/18/2023
Rev:10/18/2023