Low Income Self-Sufficiency Resources

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Resources for Seattle-King County Asset Building Collaborative

Brookings Reports:

• Banking on Wealth-  This study conducts a comprehensive review of the location of all basic retail financial services firms to determine their accessibility to low- and moderate-income consumers. The study also generates new projections on the potential savings incurred  if efforts were made to transfer high-cost fees into savings or investment vehicles. [ Download/View File ]  

• Bringing Unbanked Households into the Banking System- This paper presents a strategy that banks can use to help "unbanked" households-- those who do not have accounts at deposit institutions--to join the mainstream financial system.
  

Local Initiatives, Research and Tools:

• King County Low Income Credit Union Project- Medina Foundation- Project that works to provide affordable financial services to low and moderate income people in King County and helps them build assets and achieve financial stability. This Powerpoint outlines the history, and purpose of the project, categories of services, project partners, and status of planning and implementation.    [ Download/View File ]

• Washington State Budget and Policy- Map of the cost of payday lending in Washington State, analysis of map data, information about Budget and Policy Center's new policy brief compiled from data by the Brookings Institution, and district and statewide maps and data.
  

• The Family Resource Simulator- Allows you to create your own customized graphs that illustrate how family resources and expenses change as earnings increase, taking public benefits into account. The Washington State Family Resource Simulator was developed by the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University, and it includes Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Yakima, Chelan County, Grays Harbor County, and Benton and Franklin Counties.
  

San Francisco Banking Model:

• Reaching the Unbanked in San Francisco- Outlines the collaborative effort to bring 10,000 unbanked San Franciscans into the financial mainstrea, within the two year pilot. Explains why and how, stats on unbanked, locations of bank branches, public and private partners, communication and outreach strategies, data tracking and evaluation. [ Download/View File ]

• Bank on San Francisco Case Study- This case study describes why and how Bank on San Francisco was started, from initial proposition to planning process and challenges. It is written for individuals in other cities who may be considering similar initiatives. [ Download/View File ]

Georgia Appleseed:

• Opening Deposit Accounts for Foreign Citizens- Memo including frequently asked questions and answers about opening deposit accounts for foreign citizens.
  

Texas Appleseed:

• Financial Education Publications- Provides links to a series of financial education brochures (in English and Spanish) that provide consumer info to help Latino immigrants access the banking system in ways that will offer greater personal safety in financial transactions and increased asset building opportunities.
  

Keeping Afloat: Helping Small Business Employees Make Ends Meet

Eligibilty Calculators:

• For help in figuring out whether you may qualify for food assistance,tax credits, child care subsidies, free or low-cost health insurance in Washington State, check out the DSHS Trial Eligibility Calculator.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides a program to determine if you qualify for food assistance.
• To estimate your earned income tax credit.

Applying for Benefits:

• To find a Washington State Department of Social & Health Services Community Service Office near you, call 1-800-865-7801 or search online.
• Apply online for food, cash, medical, and child care assistance.
• You can download a print copy of the Application for Benefits for food stamps, cash, medical assistance, and child care benefits.
• To apply for Basic Health insurance, call 1-800-826-2444 or apply online.
• You can file your taxes online through a program called I-CAN!
• For help in filling out an application, call 1-877-KIDS-NOW (1-877-543-7669).
• In King County, call PeoplePoint/Bridge to Benefits at (206) 684-0355.

Working Connections Child Care:

• For general information about Working Connections Child Care contact: Washington LawHelp.
  • or the Child Care Action Council
  • or the Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition
• If you live in the City of Seattle, you may be eligible for additional child care subsidies.

Earned Income Tax Credit:

• You can call the IRS at 1-800-TAX-1040 (1-800-829-1040) or go to the IRS web site for information about the EITC and tax preparation.
• At the IRS web site, you will find a list of free online tax preparation tools.
• For free assistance in preparing your taxes and filing for the EITC, call the Community Information Line at: 2-1-1.You will be directed to the nearest free tax preparation site from January 16 until April 15.
• If you have children, you must file IRS Form 1040 or 1040A and a Schedule EIC when you do your taxes. You can get a Schedule EIC by calling 1-800-TAX-FORM (1-800-829-3676) or by going to:IRS Forms.
• If you do not have a child, you can file IRS Form 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ and fill out the EITC line on that form.
• For comprehensive materials on the Earned Income Credit and Child Tax Credit, visit the    Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.

Health Care Benefits:

• For a full explanation of the benefits available, go to Northwest Health Law Advocates
•  Visit Washington Law Help for more information about free and reduced cost medical care.                        

Food Assistance:

• For information on the Food Stamp Program, including a prescreening tool and how to apply]
• Washington Basic Food Program - General Eligibility Rules

Legal Help:

• If you are denied benefits or need legal help, contact the Northwest Justice Project.
• To request a fair hearing, call (360) 664-8717 or 1-800-583-8271 or contact the  Office of Administrative Hearings
• For more information about your legal rights, see Washington Law Help

General Guides to Benefits:

• AARP: Guide to Public Benefits
• For one-stop access to benefit programs for low- to moderate-income families in King County

Research on Benefits and Low-Income Families:

• Appleseed Supportive Services Report: Eligibility, Attitudes and Barriers, May 2006. [ Download/View File ]
• Attitudes and Opinions of Small Businesses in Alabama, Nebraska and Washington
  Towards Helping Employees Gain Access to Public Benefit Programs Southeast
  Research, Inc. 03/2006 [ Download/View File ]
• When Work Doesn't Pay: What Every Policymaker Should Know, By Nancy Cauthen, National Center for Children in Poverty, June 2006.
• Going it Alone: Why Eligible Families Choose Not to Receive Public Benefits, By Debbie Zeidenberg, WorkFirst Performance Team, Washington State Office of Financial Management, January 2005. 
• Getting Connected: Employer Engagement in Work Supports,  By Abbey Frank, Mark Greenberg, and Robert Zdenek, Center for Law and Social Policy, May 2006.
• Child Care Assistance Helps Families Work: A Review of the Effects of Subsidy Receipt on Employment, By Hannah Matthews, April 2006.