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Reaching New Heights: Rising To The Challenge Of The Current Economic Recession

Learn how NLSLA is bridging the gap in accessing federally funded programs amid economic challenges, aiding income and food security, unemployment benefits, and tax credits in LA County.

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Reaching New Heights: Rising To The Challenge Of The Current Economic Recession

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  1. Reaching New Heights: Rising To The Challenge Of The Current Economic Recession Neal S. Dudovitz, Executive Director of Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County

  2. $19 Billion State Budget Shortfall Drastic Cuts for Social Services Glendale Unemployment Rate 11.3% Current State of Affairs

  3. Fully Funded Federal Programs • NLSLA has identified four federally funded federal programs which are under accessed by our low income clients focusing on Income Security • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/ Food Stamps • Unemployment Insurance Benefits • Earned Income Tax Credit

  4. Income Security: G.R. to S.S.I. • Mentally and Physically Disabled are unable to obtain SSI Benefits • General Relief funding $221 a month is not sufficient to transition out of homelessness • Many SSI Applications initially denied but, approved upon Appeal • SSI Benefits can be as high as $700 per month and Medi-Cal entitlement

  5. S.S.I. Enrollment Barriers Solutions • Marshalling the Medical Evidence • Completing the Application Process • Chronic Homelessness • Pro-Bono Attorney Assistance • Gathering Medical Evidence • Training Doctors • >75% of GR recipients qualify for SSI when provided assistance Moving 4,000 people from GR to SSI would save LA County $50 Million a year

  6. Food Security: SNAP/Food Stamp Enrollment • Only 48% of eligible Californians are receiving Food Stamps • Every $1 of Food Stamps generates up to $1.84 in local economic activity • If all of those eligible for Food Stamps were enrolled it would generate $2.4 Billion in economic activity for LA County

  7. SNAP/Food Stamp Enrollment Barriers Solutions • Fingerprinting Requirement • Public Charge-Immigration Concerns • Face-to-Face Enrollment • Co-Location of DPSS • Food Stamp Screening • Increasing Farmer’s Market use of EBT • Use of One-E App and Family Source Center • NLS Sun Valley Project enrolled 75 families resulting in: • $320 average monthly benefit • Generating approximately $500,000 in economic activity annually

  8. Unemployment Insurance Benefits (UIB) • Lengthy and Difficult Application Process • Severe Delays in Appeals Process • Average UIB are $200-$400 a week • $350 Million in UIB were paid out in LA County in July of this year • NLS Worker Rights Clinics identify claimants who require assistance either with filing UIB Claims or with the Appeals Process • NLS hopes to increase the number of successful applications in the 1st instance and appeals

  9. Earned Income Tax Credit • In 2009 256,449 households that could have received the EITC but did not file • $370 Million Dollars were lost in LA County due to unfiled EITC • California will has lost out on $1.4 Billion in Sales due to the $1.2 Billion of unclaimed EITC refunds • NLS EITC Clinics resulted in 184 returns • Average individual tax return $1,436 • Total amount of tax refunds claimed $264,279

  10. Questions and Answers

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