Free gas cards for the unemployed, no its not a scam, its a free government program. Investigative Guy John Mattes reveals a little known government help program to assist the unemployed in finding jobs. As part of the economic stimulus package The Dept. of Labor has given the states millions of dollars for supportive services for the unemployed. The services include “transportation assistance” in the form of gas cards and bus passes so the unemployed can go to job interviews. The program also provides money for new clothes for jobs interviews. It sounds all so good, a government program to help the unemployed….but the government has not told those who need it about the program.
Here is how to qualify for assistance:
- You must be currently receiving unemployment compensation
- You must sign up at work force offices for job counseling programs
- You must say you have expended all you resources and you need assistance from supportive services. You must say you need gas money to get to a potential job site or money for new clothes for an interview or assistance with rent or food.
YOU MUST STATE YOU NEED ASSISTANCE FOR JOB SEARCH ACTIVITIES, ALL OTHER RESOURCES HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED.
WE WANT TO FIND OUT HOW THE PROGRAM DOES OR DOES NOT WORK FOR YOU. LETS US KNOW WHAT YOUR EXPERIENCE IS.
No they never told anyone,the public never knew the program existed till we uncovered it .With the federal govt now short of funds for the unemployed ,I doubt the program is fully funded anymore.It is sad when people need help the most
I have been unemployed since April of 2009 and had been going to the Arizona Workforce. No one mentioned anything about the gas card program nor money for clothes. I was told about the gas card program through a Career Placement Assistant at Pima Medical Institute a month or two ago. She called the Arizona Workforce and spoke with one of the Career Counselors who had to make certain I was in their system which I was. I had received about 10 cards and was cut from the program on Friday because the Workforce was told in a meeting that the program was being cut back. I have no idea how I will be able to purchase gas for my vehicle. I am not able to ride the bus, train nor can I afford a taxi.
Make sure you ask your workforce counselors to put you in all their back to work programs to see what they offer.The program we uncovered was active in 2009.
hi ,i just by accident stumbled onto this site,i have been out of work for over a year,and everything and everyone in my life is suffering from it,my son,my husband ,my marriege,my sanity.i am on unemployment and just recently got approved for another round,it is hard to go to job interviews with no gas and shabby clothes.we make due but it is not enough.i am in phoenix and struggling every day,the transit authorities are about to go on strike so i pray you can help our family and others who are struggling as well.thank you
I am a second time kidney transplant and I am in the process of losing it so I have to go back forth to the hospital my feet have began to swell and cause pain in my arms and legs so it would really help a lot thank you.
Hola! I’ve been following your web site for a long time now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Dallas Texas! Just wanted to say keep up the great work!
thanks for the update
FYI…The program does exist, at least in Arizona. The only catch is that you need to be able to qualify for cash assistance with DES and in order to get that you must have a child under the age of 18.
What happens if you are unemployed and were denied unemployment compensation. Even lost an appeal, can you still qualify for the program?
i need a gas card to find a job and a place to live . i loss my house in the fllod in nashville tn.
I-guy here ..You need to be collecting unemployment and you have to sign up at Workforce offices for programs.Ask them for support services (gas card ,housing help etc) to help you look for a job
Good Luck
Hey, wonderful blog you have here! Keep up the good job
I inquired with the Illinois Work Force Center 1-217-278-5700 today about applying for the “supportive services” you reference and was told this:
“The Workforce Investment Act does not pay for any support services. We however do pay for schooling and transportation expenses getting to and from the community colleges. We do not help with any other expenses”
I asked for a referral to whom at the state level their office reports to, so that I can inquire about why the Centers are not giving the money or information for “supportive services” such as gasoline, interview clothes, car repair, car insurance, housing, etc…
I GUY COMMENT
shocking that some states dodge helping the people they are paid to help
Help, I need gas. I am on unemployment, have been for over a year, and expended all my resources. I need assistance from supportive services. I need gas money to get to a potential job site, money for new clothes for an interview, and assistance with rent and food.
I Guy response
Go to your workforce office and sign up for the program and then request supportive services
I-Guy
Please please help me.
I have been unemployed for over a year. I received the extensions that were available. I was qualified for the WIA program but was then given more paperwork to fill out. Each time I had to drive an hour to the office and no one even asked if I could afford it. no one asked anything other than “Do you have the paperwork we gave you?” My husband has been ill and we are going through the same thing with his disability case. he was a welder and had to have a pacemake defibulator unit installed. They told him well you can not do that work anymore,(they said that is just how it goes with these units). We lost our house in Tennessee and had to move back to Florida where my parents had an apartment we could live in. They denied that he was disabled because he was still under the age they considered for disability. can you imagine being told you are not disabled because you graduated high school and you are not old enough! Now they have told him that he needs to go see a social worker to find out if he is really depressed. Why wouldn’t he be after all of this. i will ask about the cards when I go back next week.
I-GUY Replies Good luck tell us what they tell yoi
I HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED SINCE I WAS 14 AND HAD TAXES TAKEN OUT EVERY YEAR AND HAVE DONE MY DUTY AS A CITIZEN…THE COMPANY I WORKED FOR WAS SOLD TO FOREIGNERS WHO GET THE BUSINESS TAX FREE FOR 5 YEARS….WHO BY THEN WILL PASS IT OFF TO A FAMILY MEMBER WHO WILL PASS IT OFF TO ANOTHER THUS INSURING AT LEAST 15 YEARS OF NOT PAYING ANY TAXES….THEY LAID ALL 10 OF US OFF THAT WORKED FOR THIS COMPANY…AND WE ASK WHATS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY…IM ALL FOR FAIR TRADE AND FREE ENTERPRISE…BUT AT THE SAME RATES FOR EVERYONE ….I DONT GET A TAX BREAK AND I AM FROM HERE …WHATS UP WITH THAT?
Go to workforce office and ask for supportive services
I just got off the phone with Michigan unemployment office I asked about the Gov.funded gas card I was told ” I never heard of that program” So there ya go apparently it doesn’t excist in Mich.
The way to go about gas money in GA you have to be in the WIA program and they give you $12 a day, or so they tell me. So far they owe me for 3 weeks, but of course my attendance sheets have been lost by the Workforce office so now I have to go through and re-mail them again.
Tell the work force officials you want to be part of the supportive services program which includes free gas cards.Keep us up to date with your progress
If President Obama gave this stimulus money to help the unemployed then why are these states stealing the money from us? They all pretent that the gas cards and etc do not exist. Why does the US do this to it’s citizens? We need to ban together and report this to President Obama because they are misusing our money. They need to be held accoutable. I want to see how much money they have gotten to help the unemployed. Give me some transparency here. Hey investigative guy you did a great thing telling us about this now tell us how we can get something done. Thanks I-Guy
Listen to the people around you.They encounter all kinds of scams.We all do!
How you find ideas for articles, I am always lack of new ideas for articles. Some tips would be great
I wish there was an easy answer.Don’t give up hope as so many Americans are facing the same struggles,demand Americans get a bailout not just Wall St
ok, great ,got all that, unemployment is out, owe federal and state tax, two months behind on the vehicle, signed up at job service, been here over a year, lots of interviews, thousands of applications and career fairs to what end….(am 20 year military vet too)
4.98 left to my name to last until a 18 hr a week job at a store, in two weeks. I am in plymouth, ma who do you call..?
ghost busters…?
I have the feeling I’ve been screwed over somewhere. I want to see Scott Brown, he use to work in the HQ I retired out of. can you get me an appointment?
Don’t give up hope, the money went to all states .While the states all differ as to how the program is implemented,it’s in place in some form in all.
Not so sure about this,I am going to ask! Remember alot of people think they know,each state is different.
i would like a free gas card
i am going to be laid off on christmas holidays and could use some assistance in finding work and gas to do so
WOULD LIKE A FREE GAS CARD
Quote from a blog acquaintance who visited the Nassau County Hicksville DOL office today:
Hi, all:
Thanks to everyone for all the great postings today. I am back with (no) news from the front, re: the gas allowance. NO ONE (gee, why am I NOT surprised) owned up to even having heard of it, except for one kindly woman who acknowledged that she “vaguely remembered that being offered earlier in the year, but it does not exist anymore.” Michael — I tried Please, Michael and all, check out the links others provided here yesterday if you are interested in travel assistance … DOL knew NADA.
If you can’t get answers in California, what are we supposed to do in the other states? My unemployment has also run out, and I’m waiting for the impending extension. Might there be corruption. Is someone in DOL or at the State offices keeping or selling these cards?
How do we get more information about this gas card and other things?
IDES will laugh everyone out of the offices where I live if we just said, “I need a gas card for an interview”.
would have been nice if the government had let me know about this before my unemployment ran out. Also, I’ve heard that WIA will help those who are in school learning a new trade. Do you know anything about that?? Because I went back to school Sept 29, 2009 trying to learn a new trade but with no help from WIA. Be interesting to find out. I am in Georgia by the way.