Transcript Understanding More About Poverty Monica Bogucki, B.S.W., J

Understanding More
About Poverty,
Monica Bogucki, B.S.W., J.D.
2010 copyright Monica Bogucki
Where do you apply for
government benefits?
Most program are administered by
▪ County Welfare Departments
▪ County Departments of Economic
Assistance
▪ County Social Service Agencies
▪
What is a Combined Application Form?
Combined Application Form part 1 (CAF 1)
▪ Establishes the application date
▪ Combined Application Form part 2 (CAF 2)
▪ Determines your eligibility for a number of
programs such as
▪ MFIP-S, medical assistance, food stamps.
Minnesota Supplemental Aid
▪ General Assistance
▪
Web site to online CAF
application
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All states-links
http://www.cbpp.org/1-1404tanf.htm
Minnesota
http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main
/groups/Economic_support/docu
ments/pub/dhs_Economic_Supp
ort.hcsp
MFIP Hypothetical Exercise
MARIE
General Assistance Hypothetical
Exercises
JEREMY
ELLEN
Definitions of Poverty
➡ poverty
➡ near poverty
➡ extreme poverty
Facts about Poverty
✧ For a family of 3, the federal poverty line is an
annual household income of $18,310.00
✧ The extreme poverty line is $9,155.00 for a
family of 3
The Face of Childhood Poverty
✧ 20% of children under age six live in
poverty
✧ 43% of all children under age six were
LIVING IN OR NEAR POVERTY
✧ In Minnesota, 10% of all children live in
poverty
✧ In the US, 17% of all children live in
poverty
✧10% of American children lived in
EXTREME poverty
Homelessness
Wilder Research Center
2009 Research Report
At least 9,654 people were
precariously housed in Minnesota
▪ 20% of the homeless adults are
working full or part-time
▪ Average cost of a one-bedroom
apartment in the Twin Cities area is
$ 707 and $858 for a two bedroom
▪
134 people died while
homeless in Minn. (2008)
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119 people died while homeless in 2009
134 people died while homeless in Minn.
(2008)
106 people died while homeless (2007)
104 people died while homeless (2004)
126 people died while homeless (2003)
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73 people died while homeless (1999)
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The age range from infant to 82 years old
The ages range from 5 weeks to 84 years old.
continued
▪
85 people died while homeless (2001)
▪ The ages range from 3 months
to 70 years old
Who are the homeless?
37% are families with children
25-40% work
▪ The average age of a homeless person in the
United States is NINE YEARS OLD
▪ In Minnesota, 84%
▪ 25-30% have mental health impairments
▪ 30% are veterans
▪ 50% homeless women and children have
experienced domestic violence
▪ Many are unaccompanied minors
Impact of Homelessness on Children
It takes an average of 4-6 months for a child to recover
academically from a change in schools.
66% of students who missed 20 or more
school
▪ days during first, second and third grade
drop out of school
▪ 50% of all children in shelter show signs
of anxiety and depression
▪ 10% of all elementary age school
children in Minneapolis experience
homelessness each year
▪
Multiple Obstacles Families and
Children Face While Living in Poverty
CIRCLE OF POVERTY
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Homeless Teens
Community and Family Support
Domestic Abuse
Education
Transportation
Consumer
Housing
More Obstacles
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Child Care
Health Care-Physical
Health Care-Mental
Employment and Training
Personal
What Needs to be Done for Children
For Families:
▪ Increase safety nets for families
▪ Affordable and safe housing
▪ Affordable and safe child care
▪ Government benefit programs need
to be designed as anti-poverty
programs
Needs for Parents
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Improved income levels through tax
credits and increased minimum
wage
Reliable Transportation
Improved bus schedules to
accommodate parents’ work
schedules
Provide programs where parents can
purchase reliable transportation
Availability of affordable auto
insurance
Health Care Needs:
▪Health insurance for children and
parents
▪ Mental Health needs
–More affordable mental health services
available
–Health plans should include increased
coverage for mental health services
–Decrease Stigma about mental health
–Increase public education and
awareness of mental health
Food and Nutrition
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Food stamp levels should be
increased to ensure proper
nutrition to families and children
Increase the WIC program
Increase funding to school lunch
programs
Educational Needs:
▪ Special Education needs to be fully
funded and available
▪ Need to establish ways that homeless
children can continue in the same
schools even though the family may
have to move several times
▪ School programs should encourage
family and community involvement to
help provide a support network for
students and families
Overview of Income
Maintenance Programs
2010 Copyright Monica Bogucki
Need Based Programs
1. Is the client categorically
eligible?
2. Is the client financially eligible?
Is the client within income
limits?
Is the client within assets
limits?
The income and asset limits
are different for every
program.
Public Interest Lawyers
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Recognizing need based
programs-income and asset
limits
Recognizing clients’ eligibility for
programs
Recognizing special benefits of
programs-such as the family
violence waiver for MFIP-S
What is a category of eligibility
for MFIP-S
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Must include at least one minor
child or
Pregnant woman Minn. Stat.
256J.13, subd. 1
Welfare Reform
In 1996, the Personal Responsibility and
Work Opportunity Act passed
▪ Minnesota Family Investment Program
▪ MFIP-S, Minn. Stat. 256J et. seq.
▪ 5 year time limit-starting in July 1997
▪
Government Benefit Programs
For Families
MFIP-S-monthly cash assistance
program for families
▪ Food Stamps
▪ Medical Assistance
▪ EBT Cards link in Minn.
▪ http://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserv
er/Legacy/DHS-3315A-ENG
▪
Government Benefit Programs
▪For
individual or couples
without children
General Assistance
▪ Food Stamps
▪ General Assistance Medical
Coverage
▪
General Assistance
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Sixteen different categories for
eligibility
Minn. Stat. 256D.05
Food Stamps
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Federal Funding-United States
Department of Agriculture
Cost of living adjustment every
year
Food Stamps
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Also available as a stand alone
program
Underutilized-important to refer
clients who eligible
Food Support or Food Stamps
National
 http://www.cbpp.org
 Food Research and Action
Center
 http://www.frac.org
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program-new name
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Food Stamp Calculator
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Example:
http://www.ndhealth.gov/dhs/foo
dstampcalculator
Government Benefits for
Immigrants
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Issue
Public Charge
Government Benefit Programs for
Emergencies
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MFIP-Emergency Assistance
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Varies by county
Emergency General Assistance
▪ Emergency Minnesota
Supplemental Assistance
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For elderly and disabled
What kinds of emergencies do these
programs cover?
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Mortgage foreclosure
Eviction
Damage deposit
First and last months rent
More Emergencies
Utility shut-off
▪ Homeless shelter
▪ Broken furnace
▪ Fire
▪ Flood
▪ Other health and safety repairs on
the house
▪
Disability Programs through Social
Security Administration
Supplemental Security Income
Program (SSI)
▪ Retirement, Survivors, Disability
Insurance (RSDI)
▪
Low Income Families Who are Working
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May qualify for programs such as:
Food stamps
Minnesota Care
Emergency Assistance
Social Security Administration
Disability Programs
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Supplemental Security Income
Program (SSI)-Need based
program
Retirement, Survivors, Disability
Insurance program-not need
based (RSDI)
SSA Disability Programs and
Medical Coverage
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SSI and Medical Assistance
(Medicaid)
RSDI and Medicare
No time limit
Important to shift clients from
MFIP to SSI/RSDI if the client is
qualified
Also means more money for the
family
Unemployment Insurance or
Reemployment Insurance
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State administered and
employer funded
Minnesota Department of
Economic Security
Minnesota Supplemental Adi
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Supplemental monthly cash
grant for
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Elderly and Disabled
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State funded and county
administered program
Appeal Rights
Client has a right to appeal most unfavorable
actions such as:
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Termination of benefits
Reduction of benefits
Suspension of benefits
Delay in processing benefits
Sanctions
Appeal Time lines
Vary by program
▪ Must move quickly to get continued
benefits pending appeal
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Clients may have many workers
Financial worker
▪ Job counselor
▪ Child care provider
▪ Child care subsidy worker
▪ School, special education
▪ Court system: Social workers,
Probation officers
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Child protection workers
In Your Practice
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What benefit programs are you clients
and their family members receiving?
Have clients bring in all of their written
notices
If client cannot remember what
programs-ask client where they go for
their benefits
Get the name of the clients’ work,
including phone number and case
number
Do they have an EBT card?
General Assistance
Categorical Eligibility Exercises
Minn. Stat. 256D.05