N E A L S . D U D O V I T Z ,
E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R
N E I G H B O R H O O D L E G A L S E R V I C E S O F L A C O U N T Y
W W W. N L S - L A . O R G
J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 1
M E N D I N G P O V E R T Y C O N F E R E N C E

 GOAL: G ET M ONEY INTO THE H ANDS OF P OOR F AMILIES WITHOUT
C REATING N EW P ROGRAMS OR B REAKING THE B ANK
 Four under accessed federally funded programs:
 Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/ Food Stamps
(in CA it is now CalFresh)
 Unemployment Insurance Benefits
 Earned Income Tax Credit
1.
2.
These Programs already exist-do not require new legislation
This Saves County Money that Can be Used for Other Benefits

 Many Homeless, Mentally and Physically Disabled people face barriers in applying SSI, so they end up on General
Relief (GR)
 Monthly GR is $221-not enough to cover basic needs
 SSI can provide up to $845 plus Medi-Cal coverage for health benefits
 Moving 4,000 people from GR to SSI would save LA
County $50 Million a year!!

Barriers
 Marshalling Medical
Evidence
 Completing Application
 Chronic Homelessness
 Mental Illness
 Physical Disabilities
 Lack of Legal Assistance
Solutions
 Training Doctors on
Medical Record
Requirements
 Assistance with SSI Forms
 Assistance in Gathering
Medical Evidence
 Pro Bono Assistance with
SSI Application

 In California only 48% of those eligible receive SNAP
 In LA County only 40% of those eligible receive SNAP
 Food Stamps stimulate the economy- every $1 of Food
Stamps generates up to $1.84 for the local economy
 If everyone eligible received SNAP in LA County it would generate $2.4 Billion in Economic Activity for the County
Average SNAP Allotment
1 Person $176
2 Person
3 Person
4 Person
$323
$463
$588

Barrier
 Face to Face Enrollment
Requirement
 Fingerprinting
Requirement
 Lengthy Application
 Public Charge Concerns
Solution
 Finger Print Legislation
AB 6 Asm. Fuentes
 Co-Location with County
 Electronic Application
 Screening clients for eligibility
 Assist Farmers Markets use of EBT cards

 Employees who are out of work, without fault, can receive Unemployment Insurance Benefits
 Unemployment Benefits are funded by employers and the government and is administered by the State
Employment Development Department
Eligibility Factors
Fired without Misconduct Earning Minimum Amount
Quit for Good Cause
Laid Off
Able to Work
Actively Seeking Work

Barrier
 Difficult to Understand
Application Forms and
Process
 Denial and Limited
Window to Appeal
 Severe Delays in Appeals
 Language Barriers
 Lack of Legal Assistance
Solution
 Education on UIB
Application Process
 Advocacy to Reduce
Denials and Delay
 Self Help Workshops
 Language Access
 Pro Bono Assistance with
Appeals

 Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is available to working people (single or married) with low to moderate incomes
 If you make to little to owe income tax you can still obtain a refund or get a refund on what you paid
 In 2009 256,449 eligible households in LA County did not file for EITC, costing approximately $370 in lost revenue
 In 2009 California lost out in $1.4 Billion in Sales due to unclaimed EITC refunds
If you had three or more children in 2010 you could qualify for a $5,657 refund

Barrier
 Difficult to understand
IRS Forms
 Mailing costs
 Digital Barrier
 Language Barriers
 Lack of knowledge about the program
Solution
 EITC Clinics and
Workshops
 I-CAN system set up online
 Education on using I-CAN
 Providing access to computers and internet with volunteer assistance