Too many low-wage workers in America are struggling to make ends meet. Low-wage workers often live on the financial edge and face great instability. Easily losing housing, child care, or transportation, these workers may find themselves unable to work. Low-wage workers should not have to choose between paying their rent and sending their kids to the doctor.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses represent more than 99 percent of the country's employers and generate 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually. Small businesses also are the most likely to employ low-wage, no-benefit workers. Without the human resources capacity or typically greater resources of larger companies, small business often struggle to recruit and retain good employees. When every penny matters, workers may move to a new job for even small increases in pay or benefits. 

Many small business owners may have more to offer their employees than they realize. Many low-income workers can qualify for health care, child care, food stamp, and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) programs. When claimed, these public benefits can be a critical piece of the puzzle for working families. Unfortunately, these benefits are too commonly not accessed because of lack of information, stigma, or inadequate state funding. 

Of the 10 million uninsured children in America, 6.2 million are eligible for coverage under either Medicaid or CHIP. Food stamps now reach only about three out of five eligible people nationwide. Every year, billions of dollars in Earned Income Tax Credits go unclaimed. This is money that could be going directly to low-income working families. 

Washington Appleseed is working with employers to educate them about the role of public benefits programs in supporting their workers. We will provide materials and models that will help them help their workers access benefit programs.  Our focus will be on access to health care, child care, the EITC, and food stamps. Appleseed also will develop bridges between small businesses and social service agencies to make benefits more accessible. 

We are currently collaborating with the City of Seattle, through its PeoplePoint Bridge to Benefits program, to increase outreach in the Chinatown/International District.  We will be holding a series of workshops in Chinese for employees to learn about the benefits available to them. We are working with the business owners to hold these workshops on site at their place of employment.

Additionally, we hope our work with small businesses leads to the foundation of a long-term political base in support of issues that matter to small business employees.  Getting employees enrolled in benefit programs is only half the battle; if program funding is not available, signing up employees is a futile exercise. Whether it means lobbying state governments to ensure adequate funding of work support programs, or encouraging greater engagement from within the small business community, a base of empowered small business leaders is a key element in advancing policies that meet the needs of the small business community.

APPLESEED TOOLKITS

Information for Employers
Contact Information List  [Download/View File]
What Employers Can Do To Help Employees  [Download/View File]
Basic Food Fact Sheet  [Download/View File]
Medicaid/CHIP/Basic Health Fact Sheet  [Download/View File]
Earned Income Tax Credit Fact Sheet  [Download/View File]
Working Connections Child Care Subsidies Fact Sheet  [Download/View File]

Information for Employees:
Basic Food Fact Sheet  [Download/View File]
Medicaid/CHIP/Basic Health Fact Sheet  [Download/View File]
Earned Income Tax Credit Fact Sheet  [Download/View File]
Working Connections Child Care Subsidies Fact Sheet  [Download/View File]

For more information on how to apply for benefits, please click on Low-Income Self-Sufficiency RESOURCES in the menu bar at the left.