Work Support Programs Help Families and Communities

Research shows that even small increases in a family’s income—as little as $372 month over three years—can have positive impacts on a child’s cognitive, social, and behavioral development. Health care coverage, food support, school meals, earned income tax credits, energy assistance and other public programs were designed to help low-income families meet basic needs. These programs put money in the pockets of low-income families, stabilizing their economic, social, and physical health. These programs help families remain in the workforce and keep them off of welfare. Yet despite the benefits, many low-income Minnesota families do not participate in public work support programs or claim tax credits.

• Energy Assistance (70% of eligible households are not enrolled)
• MinnesotaCare and Medical Assistance (22% of eligible individuals are not enrolled)
• Child Care Assistance (76% of eligible children are not enrolled)
• Food Support (58% of eligible individuals are not enrolled)
• School Meals (15% of eligible children are not enrolled)
• Earned Income Tax Credit and Working Family Credit (18% of eligible households do not claim)

Even at current participation rates, these programs bring hundreds of millions of dollars into the Minnesota economy. In 2006, the programs brought in:

• Energy Assistance=$77 million
• Earned Income Tax Credit=$432 million
• Child Care Assistance=$132 million
• Food Support=$250 million
• School Meals=$109 million

The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that every $5 dollars of Food Support benefits generates $9.20 in total economic activity. The economic impact on Minnesota would be enormous if all families participated in these programs. There are many reasons why families fail to participate in the work support programs for which they are eligible – they don’t believe they qualify so they don’t apply, they are overwhelmed by the complexity of the application process, they have low literacy levels and fail to understand the application, they feel stigmatized by public programs, they’ve had poor experiences or they distrust government bureaucracies, to name a few.

Bridge to Benefits is a project to help low-income working families meet basic needs and become financially stable by linking them to public work support programs and tax credits. A core component of the project is an online eligibility-screening tool designed to help families understand if they are eligible for seven public programs and two tax credits. By answering a few simple questions, families can learn if they qualify for programs, print out applications and get county-specific information about how and where to apply. The website will also connect families to organizations that provide one-on-one application assistance.