Are you taking all the benefits you’re entitled to?
103 million Americans leave $80 billion in benefits unclaimed every year.
These are benefits that your tax dollars pay for! Things like affordable healthcare. Help with childcare. Affordable internet access. Childcare. And more. Make sure you are taking all the benefits you’re entitled to. Here are three free resources that help you figure out what you are eligible for and how to apply.
Benefit Kitchen helps individuals check to see if they’re eligible for 18 federal, state, and local benefits.
Benefit Finder is the official benefits website of the U.S. government to find benefits and where to apply for them.
Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool (BEST) find out if you are eligible for benefits that Social Security administers and how to apply.
This free app is easy to use on a phone or laptop and provides links to all three resources and more information.
Benefit Kitchen
Benefit Kitchen’s online screening tool asks a series of questions. Analyzes your answers and provides a list of benefits that your might be eligible for and how to apply for them. The service can be used through a web browser or by texting from a phone. Benefit Kitchen does not ask for personal information such as your name, address or Social Security number.
Source: Benefit Kitchen Share as a GIF
Get your share. You deserve it!
Benefit Kitchen applies data an analytics to help people improve their lives. It does this by collecting information about benefits from different states, organizing it and making it available in different forms. Their Self Screening tool (above) lets individuals find out about benefits they might be eligible for. Benefit Kitchen also provides data and an interface which helps other nonprofits and agencies use the data they’ve collected in other apps and services. Please read their Legal Disclaimer.
How to apply for benefit
Benefit Kitchen provides a list of state-specific resources to apply for benefits. Here is a sample list for California.
- Covered California — Find ACA health insurance that’s right for you.
- Online Applications for CalWORKs, CalFresh, and Medi-Cal
- Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Head Start
- School Meals
- Children’s Medicaid (CHIP)
- Home Energy Assistance (HEAP)
- Low Cost Phone Plans (Lifeline)
- GetCalFresh.org
- CalSavers — retirement savings for all Californians
- High Speed Internet Options
- Can I get help paying my phone bill? (Lifeline)
Screening Tools and Referrals:
- Kaiser Family Foundation provides an ACA Premium Calculator (click for results based on your screening).
- MyReps helps you find and contact your federal, state, county and local elected representatives (click for results in your zip).
- View/print SDOH Report
TakeAway: Take the Federal, State and local benefits you’re entitled to. Your tax dollars paid for them!
Deepak
DemLabs
DISCLAIMER: Although the information found in this blog and infographic has been produced from sources believed to be reliable, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability or legality of any such information. This disclaimer applies to any uses of the information whether isolated or aggregate uses thereof. Democracy Labs disclaims any and all responsibility for uses and misuses of such information by any person.
Read in browser »
Reposted from Democracy Labs with permission.
