Transcript Introduction to The Ohio Benefit Bank™

Introduction to
The Ohio Benefit Bank™
www.ohiofoodbanks.org
www.ohiobenefits.org
<Name of Presenter>, <Name
of OBB Site>
What is The Ohio Benefit Bank (OBB™)?
The OBB is a program of the Ohio Association of
Foodbanks, Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger.
The OBB is implemented through a public-private
partnership between the Ohio Association of Foodbanks,
the State of Ohio, four federal agencies, nine state
agencies, and about 1,300 faith-based
and community organizations in all
of Ohio’s 88 counties.
The Problem: Ohio’s Unclaimed Funds
In Ohio, more than $2.24 billion in work support
programs and tax credits, provided to help stabilize
low- and moderate-income
families, go unclaimed
each year.
$289,983,396.59
About 95 percent of those
funds are federal dollars
which, if unused Ohio
must return to the
federal government.
$1,276,485,620
$272,255,780
SNAP Benefits Not Accessed
$65,146,199
$76,227,280
$258,369,407
EITC Funds Not Accessed
Federal Children's Medicaid
Benefits Not Accessed
Federal CHIP Benefits Not
Accessed
Medicare Part D Benefits Not
Accessed
Value of Pell Grants Not
Accessed
An Answer: The Ohio Benefit Bank
The Ohio Benefit Bank (OBB™) helps individuals and families to access
these unclaimed funds, providing revenue to local economies.
Here’s an example of how the OBB could help to increase household
stability for a family of one adult and two children with an earned annual
income of $15,600 (or $10/hour for 30 hours/week):
$5,028 from the Earned Income Tax Credit
$4,728 in Food Assistance
$150 in Home Energy Assistance
= $9,931 in potential income enhancements
These benefits and credits alone would provide an increase in annual
income of more than 64 percent!
How Does the OBB Work?
The OBB is a free online service that is:
• Internet-based, available in easy-to-read English
and Spanish
• Question-guided
• A tool to stimulate local economies and
household incomes
The OBB offers:
• A potential eligibility calculator that estimates
eligibility for more than 20 work support
programs and tax credits
• An application completion tool
• A free income tax assistance program, including
free e-filing for federal and state tax returns
Programs Supported by the OBB
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USDA Child Nutrition Programs
Food Assistance (SNAP)
Supplemental Security Income/Social Security Disability Insurance
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Healthcare programs for families and children
Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps (BCMH)
Child and Family Health Services
Medicare Savings Program
Extra Help for Medicare Part D
Ohio Senior Community Service Employment Program
Golden Buckeye Program
Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
Ohio Cash Assistance (OWF)
Child Care Assistance
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Big Brothers Big Sisters “Amachi”
Veterans Education Benefits
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Free tax filing (federal and state, including e-filing and back taxes)
The Ohio Youth and Young Adults in Transition Universal Plan
OBB Counselor-Assisted
• New sites attend a onehour, pre-training
orientation
OBB
CounselorAssisted
(Original
Model)
• Interested sites complete
site enrollment paperwork
• Sites send new counselors
to regional training,
including hands-on
practice on computers
• Separate trainings for
benefits and taxes
OBB Self-Serve
• The OBB Self-Serve
edition is available from
any computer with
Internet access
OBB
Self-Serve
• Self-Serve sites can
provide access to OBB
Self-Serve and receive
detailed reporting just by
attending a brief online
training
Tools you can use today: QuickCheck
• Potential eligibility calculator estimates eligibility for work
supports and tax credits
• Based on household size, income, and expenses
• Uses a five-star rating to indicate the likelihood that a
person is eligible for one or more benefit
• Go to www.ohiobenefits.org and click “QuickCheck”
Household size: Basic information for each
person living in the household
Household income: Earned and unearned
income for the year
Household expenses: Basic expenses are
entered to calculate the household’s cost of
living
Tools you can use today: Site Locator
The Benefit Bank Site Locator is an interactive
map that locates the OBB sites near an
address or zip code.
Go to www.ohiobenefits.org,
click “Benefit Bank Locator,”
enter an address or zip code,
and click “Search” to find
OBB sites in your area.
Helpful Resources: Mobile Express
The OBB Mobile Express, powered by The Columbus Foundation, attends
events that will target specific populations, including seniors, veterans, and
people living with disabilities. These populations often face unique barriers
to accessing and utilizing benefits, barriers the Mobile Express team helps
overcome by identifying effective strategies that are then shared with the
OBB network.
Reserve the
Mobile Express
for free for your
next event!
Just go to
ohiofoodbanks.org
to submit a
request today!
Getting Involved with the OBB
• Become an OBB site
• To sign up for pre-training orientation, the first step
in becoming a site, visit www.ohiofoodbanks.org
• Become a volunteer
• Call the OBB hotline at 1-800-648-1176 to be
connected with a site near you where you can
volunteer
• Spread the word
• Order free marketing or connect clients with OBB
Self-Serve at www.ohiobenefits.org
How We Use the OBB
• Insert some information on this slide about
how your organization uses the OBB to serve
your community and/or clients. How long
have you been using the OBB? Who do you
send to training to be counselors? How do
you outreach to clients?