Pilot program to improve access to low-income benefits

Every year, Arkansans are passing up on about $280 million in state and federal benefits, Gov. Mike Beebe said Monday in announcing a $1.4 million pilot program aimed at helping low-income residents to receive all of the benefits for which they are eligible.

The Benefit Bank of Arkansas, a version of which operates in several other states, expected to be up and running in seven Arkansas counties early next year, Beebe said.

"These are benefits that many Arkansans already qualify for, but getting them is often a complicated process," the governor said at a Capitol news conference. "The Benefit Bank will give applicants a reliable resource to help them maneuver through complex applications and busy schedules to obtain these tax credits and other benefits."

Stephen Copley, a member of the Arkansas Interfaith Conference, said the organization will train volunteers to help those in need get through the application process.

The volunteers will work at churches, community centers, food banks, health clinics, county offices or any public place where a computer and Internet access is available, Copley said, and will be available after regular work hours to make it more convenient to people who have a difficult time getting off work during the day.

Some of the benefits available are the Earned Income Tax Credit, food stamps, ARKids First child health insurance, and heating and cooling assistance, he said.

For the first year, the Benefit Bank program will be available in Hempstead, Izard, Mississippi, Montgomery, Phillips, Pulaski and Washington counties. In a year, the program will be evaluated to determine if it should be expanded, the governor said.

Beebe said the counties were selected based on population and their location so the program would be available to as many people across the state as possible.

John Briscoe, director of development with the New York City-based National Council of Churches, said later that the Benefit Bank program is currently available in Florida, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kansas and the District of Columbia.

The program also is available in Texas to help people with their taxes, Briscoe said.

The degree of involvement varies by state, with most having little state involvement, he said.

With Beebe's support and assistance from the state Department of Workforce Services and the state Department of Human Services, Briscoe said Arkansas has the potential to be the national "model" for program.

People who enter the program average about $4,500 in additional benefits annually, Brisco said.

The program is being funded with $1.4 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds, covering both the initial setup and the first year of operation, the governor said.

Full text available at the Arkansas News Bureau