NE New Mexico News

Residents of remote Union County will have an easier time applying for social services and benefits with the introduction of a new Income Support Division mobile unit based in Clayton.

The Income Support Division (ISD) is a service of the state’s Human Services Department that, according to its website, has a mission “to relieve, minimize or eliminate poverty and to make available certain services for eligible low-income individuals and families through statewide programs of financial assistance, food assistance, employment assistance and training services.”

The mobile unit, which opened Jan. 31, is the first permanent presence of ISD in Union County, a remote area with a population under 5,000 and a poverty rate of slightly over 14%, according to Data USA.

In announcing the new unit on its website, ISD credited State Rep. Jack Chatfield, whose district includes Union County, with advocating for it. The office is located at Union County General Hospital, 300 Wilson St. in Clayton, and it is open every second and fourth Thursday of the month from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. providing access to statewide programs for financial assistance, food assistance, medical assistance and employment assistance to a population that mostly is unable to travel longer distances to the agency’s permanent sites.

“We are happy to expand our services to Union County and are committed to improving and promoting independence for the people of this community as well as all communities across the state,” Karmela Martinez, ISD director, said according to the website.

In addition to hooking up with job training and employment assistance, residents who visit the mobile unit can apply for other services administered by Human Services, including Medicaid (medical insurance for the poor); Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, informally known as welfare), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), child support enforcement and more.