August 6, 2020 Information about Unreceived Stimulus Checks Are you an individual who did not receive a stimulus check? If you didn’t file federal taxes in 2018 or 2019, you may need to sign up to receive your check using the IRS’s free online tool. About As a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economy Security Act of 2020 (CARES Act), the United States Department of Treasury issued funds known as Economic Impact Payments (EIP), or stimulus payments, to most Americans beginning April 10, 2020. Stimulus checks were automatically deposited to the accounts of individuals who filed federal taxes in 2018 or 2019. Those who did not file federal taxes will need to sign up to receive their check. Participants may be eligible for a payment of up to $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for married couples filing jointly, in addition to $500 per qualifying child. Who Is Eligible? U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and qualifying resident aliens who: have a valid Social Security number, could not be claimed as a dependent of another taxpayer, and had adjusted gross income under certain limits. Sign Up to Receive Your Check Individuals who have not received their check must sign up by October 15 to get their payment this year. To sign up to receive your check, use the IRS’s free online tool. The following information will be collected: your full name, mailing address, email address, date of birth, and Social Security number. The Non-Filers: Enter Payment tool is intended for individuals who were not required to file a federal tax return for 2019. Individuals may not need to file a federal tax return for several reasons, including the following: the individual earned an income of less than $12,200; a married couple filed jointly and together their income was less than $24,400; or the individual did not earn an income. More Information For more information, visit the IRS website. Share this flyer with your network.
July 21, 2020 Child Care Works Payment Practice Changes Effective 9/1 On July 17, the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) issued an announcement stating that starting September 1, 2020, Child Care Works (CCW) payments will return to payment practices and policies based on attendance and invoicing for all children. This will remain true regardless of when a child was enrolled with the provider. Additional Policy Changes In addition, the following policies will again be effective starting September 1: absences will be tracked and counted towards the 40 days of absences for all children; children’s enrollment after five days of absence will be suspended until the child returns to care; all Adverse Action notices will be sent to families per policy; dual enrollments, the practice implemented under COVID-19 to support both a closed provider and families who need care, will end; and collection of family co-pays will resume. The announcement is intended to provide advance notice to child care providers, allowing them to plan for the use of final CARES Act funding which will be issued in August. Providers should communicate the resumption of absence policies (effective September 1) to the families they serve. More Information For more information, view OCDEL’s full announcement or contact your local ELRC.
July 14, 2020 Rent Assistance Available in Allegheny County Allegheny County is partnering with the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) to jointly fund the CARES Rent Relief Program. Through the program, individuals experiencing job loss or loss of income due to COVID-19 can apply for rent payment assistance. Available Assistance Up to $750 per month per household in state-funded rental assistance. Up to $750 per month per household in Allegheny County-funded rental assistance. Up to $200 per month per household in County funding to cover additional household costs for gas, electric, and/or internet; late fees charged by the landlord and/or utility company; and/or court costs. Payments will be made to the landlord on behalf of the renter for a maximum of six months of assistance between March 1 and November 30, 2020 (may include December rent). Funds can be used to pay rent from March 1 to December 31, 2020. Eligibility To be eligible for program, individuals must meet the following criteria: The renter must have experienced job loss or a reduction in annual income due to COVID-19. The renter’s income may not exceed the Area Median Income for Allegheny County (adjusted for the number of people in the household). The renter must document at least a 30 percent reduction in income since March 1, 2020 due to COVID-19 OR the renter must have become unemployed, as verified by the PA Department of Labor and Industry, after March 1, 2020 as a result of COVID-19. Submit an Application To submit an application, visit the CARES Rent Relief Program page. Applications can be submitted from July 6 through September 30, 2020. More Information For questions, contact the Allegheny County Department of Human Services at 412.248.0021 or ahicaresrrp@actionhousing.org.
January 16, 2019 DHS Will Issue February SNAP Benefits Early On January 8, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) notified states that February benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be fully funded. In order to receive funding however, February benefits must be issued by January 20, 2019. The Department of Human Services (DHS) has determined that they will be able to issue February SNAP benefits by January 20 in order to meet the federally imposed deadline. Below is what you need to know about SNAP benefits in January and February. Receiving February Benefits All SNAP recipients who did not have a renewal due in January, or whose renewal for January was completed by January 14, will receive their February benefits on their electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards on January 18, 2019. For those (with January renewals due) who completed their renewal after January 14, February benefits will be available on their EBT card one day after their renewal is processed. What This Means for SNAP Recipients These benefits will be the only benefit payment SNAP recipients will receive for the month of February. Recipients will not receive a payment on their regularly scheduled February payment date. This payment is not a bonus or increase in a recipient’s monthly payment. Rather, this payment is their benefit for the month of February. Recipients will need to make this early payment last through an undefined period of time if the government shutdown persists. DHS is awaiting further guidance from the USDA regarding the availability of benefits for March. Because of this, recipients experiencing food insecurity may have greater challenges during this period. This will likely result in a higher number of individuals seeking aid from charitable food organizations around the commonwealth. Applications and Renewals DHS will continue to accept SNAP applications and process renewal applications. Recipients should continue reporting any changes and should submit the semi-annual reviews or renewals that they receive. DHS will continue to issue benefits to applicants found eligible in February until they are told to stop issuing by USDA. Questions and Concerns All County Assistance Offices remain open and staff are available to assist applicants and recipients during this time. For any questions about benefits, please contact the statewide customer service center at 1.877.395.8930. For residents of Philidelphia, contact 1.215.560.7226. Resources For any individual seeking additional food assistance, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has compiled a list of community resources and organizations.
