Our Best Wishes for the Holiday Season and New Year
It has been an extraordinary year of need for residents in NJ. Last year, one in every four callers to 2-1-1 needed emergency financial assistance. Today, one of every two callers needs immediate financial relief. In 2009, 2-1-1 was able to respond to 373,000 requests for health, human service and preparedness information because of you - the agencies and community organizations who provide much needed services and support. In the spirit of the season, all the staff at 2-1-1 would like to thank you and our state, local and United Way partners for believing in providing the residents of NJ with an easy to remember number to call, 2-1-1, when help is needed most.
Help When It is Needed Most
Utility assistance consistently ranks among the top needs of callers to 2-1-1. New Jersey utility companies and non profits alike promote the numerous programs available throughout the state that offer help with everything from utility payments, to weatherizing your home.
"We feel it is important that the customer gets all the information - not just the programs that offer monetary assistance but those that educate the customer of the importance of weatherization," says Gregory Seitz, Manager of Customer Service for New Jersey Natural Gas. "It is important that we work together to ensure our customers know the number of different programs that exist."
NJ 211 can help citizens navigate the different utility assistance programs. Here are some resources you will find on nj211.org within the 2009-2010 Energy and Utility Assistance Guide.
- The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps low income people pay their heating and cooling bills through grants. It also makes provision for emergency heating system services. To be eligible, household income cannot exceed the monthly limit that can be viewed in this PDF File.
- The New Jersey Universal Service Fund (USF) was created by the NJ Board of Public Utilities and helps make energy bills more affordable to low income customers. If qualified, USF will lower the amount of monthly (you have to pay for) gas and electric bills.
- The New Jersey Lifeline Credit Program provides a $225 yearly credit on the gas or electric bills to those who qualify. To be eligible, a person (deleted you) must be 65 years old or a disabled adult over the age of 18 and be receiving social security benefits. Your income must be under $24,432 for a single person or $29,000 for a married couple.
- NJ SHARES is an energy assistance program that supports households who don't qualify for state or federal energy programs and whose income does not exceed 400% of the poverty level. The program provides temporary financial assistance with utility bills.
There are also several energy conservation and weatherization programs available to help residents cut back on their heating costs.
- New Jersey electric and gas utility companies have joined together to develop NJ Comfort Partners, a special partnership program to help customers save energy and money by making the home more energy efficient.. For low income customers that qualify, a certified Building and Performance Institute contractor will install energy saving measures in their home to help lower the energy bill.
- The Weatherization Program is for low income renters who meet the annual income guidelines. The program can help to prevent your home from high costs due to heat loss because of poor insulation or an inefficient heating system. The program offers services such as insulation, caulking and weather stripping a home, refrigerator replacement, heating system repair/replacement and window/door repair and replacement.
Utility companies are well aware that many of their customers are facing very difficult financial hardships. If you or someone you know is unable to pay a utility bill or is finding it increasingly difficult, call the utility company to find out about the programs and payment options offered through the company.
For more information visit www.nj211.org or dial 2-1-1.
FYI Spotlight - New Jersey Housing Resource Center
The New Jersey Housing Resource Center (NJHRC) is an online, housing information clearing house. It provides a web based tool for finding and listing affordable housing, helping people with disabilities find housing options, obtaining housing information and links and providing foreclosure prevention resources.
The NJHRC serves consumers, property owners and agencies in two major functions. It offers a searchable registry for available housing in NJ, including affordable rental housing, affordable housing for sale, and housing with accessibility features. The NJHRC housing search option is free and computer accessible. Buyers can search among thousands of units throughout the state and narrow their search to meet specific criteria requirements. Property owners can select from 200 criteria when listing a house and benefit from the sites sophisticated advertising. The site offers maps and pictures of the units listed and vacancy information is updated regularly.
The site also serves as a source for providing housing related information. Sources are provided that:
- Explain subsidiary programs
- Describe housing related services
- Inform you of your rights and responsibilities as a tenant
- Teach you how to find the best apartment, buy a house, or fix up your existing house
- Offers information on government program that might be available to you
To help individuals and agencies navigate the housing resources available throughout New Jersey, NJ 211 has added information on www.nj211.org that explains the different housing processes and provides links to resources available. Just click on News You Can Use and look under the Basic Needs section for housing. "Since its inception, the Housing Resource Center has been host to over 6 million searches. By also providing this tool on www.nj211.org, the Housing Resource Center (HRC) empowers consumers to proactively search for available units instead of waiting to be assigned one," says Amy Palmer, the Program Outreach Coordinator for the NJ Housing and Mortgage Agency. "Since its inception, anyone without computer access or who has problems navigating the site has been encouraged to call
2-1-1. 2-1-1 call specialists have been trained to navigate the site and will be happy to assist in searching for available housing."
For more information about the New Jersey Housing Resource Center or to navigate the resources available, visit the NJ 2-1-1 website or dial 2-1-1. Information is also available on the HRC website at www.njhousing.gov.
Free Tax Assistance is Available
With the new year comes "tax time" and the April 15 filing deadline will be here before we know it so AARP volunteers are gearing up for the start of their annual tax-aid program.
"We are still accepting volunteer applications," said Ken Hoffman, New Jersey State Coordinator for AARP. "We will be training the volunteers again in January and February so if someone is interested in lending support to the program, they should visit www.njtaxaide.org and click the "volunteer" link. From there you can fill out and submit an application."
The program, in partnership with the IRS, is the nation's largest, free tax assistance and preparation service for senior citizens and those with low and moderate incomes. Last year, AARP volunteers helped return $200 million dollars in refunds to low income families who qualify for the earned income tax credit. The average return was $4,700.
"Here in New Jersey, 15 districts support 190 sites and reach 58,000 taxpayers state wide. Last year, 935 NJ volunteers filed 30,000 federal tax returns, 77% of which were electronic" said Hoffman.
Services will be available from February 1st to April 15th in locations to be announced in mid January. To locate a free AARP or other community VITA tax preparation sites, call 2-1-1 or visit http://njtaxaide.org/NJTaxAide/Preparation.html.
Have You Heard About the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)?
The United Ways of New Jersey want you to know that the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a benefit for working people who earn low or moderate incomes. Workers who qualify for the EITC and claim it on their federal tax return can receive a refund check from the IRS even if their earnings are too small to owe income tax.
"We are working hard to increase community awareness about the Earned Income Tax Credit," said Andrea Conway, Director of Marketing and Communications for United Way of Morris County. "All of our efforts are directed to driving folks to NJ 211 so that they can see if they qualify. 2-1-1 call specialists also help them to find a location for the free tax preparation services available through AARP," she added.
To be eligible for EITC a person must have a valid social security number and have been a citizens or resident alien of the United States. Single or married people who worked full-time or part-time in 2009 can qualify, depending on their income:
- Workers who were raising one child in their home and had income of less than $35,463 (or $40,463 for married workers) in 2009 can get an EITC of up to $3,043.
- Workers who were raising two children in their home and had income of less than $40,295 (or $45,295 for married workers) in 2009 can get an EITC of up to $5,028.
- Workers who were raising three or more children in their home and had income of less than $43,279 (or $48,279 for married workers) can get an EITC of up to $5,657.
The EITC does not affect eligibility for other public benefits. It does not count as income in determining eligibility for benefits like welfare, Medicaid, food stamps, SSI or public housing.
To determine eligibility, call 2-1-1 or click onto www.nj211.org. You can also visit the IRS EITC resource page. It offers an interactive questionnaire that can determine if eligibility for the EITC and if so, how much of a refund can be expected. Click here to review the questionnaire.
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