Income Assistance

1. What am I eligible for? 

ACCESS (https://access.wisconsin.gov/) is a quick and easy way for people in Wisconsin to get answers to questions about health and nutrition programs.  See if you might be eligible for FoodShare, Medicaid, BadgerCare Plus, SeniorCare, and other programs.

2. Earned Income Tax Credit

Each year, many direct-care workers receive an income tax refund. The EITC can increase this refund by $1,000 to $4,000, depending on your family’s size and income.

To receive the EITC, you must prepare your taxes correctly. Many organizations in Wisconsin can: 1) prepare your taxes at no charge, 2) determine whether you qualify for the EITC and 3) ensure that you receive these funds.

3. Child Support Enforcement

If you are having trouble receiving child-support payments, you are not alone and can ask the government for help.  When individuals do not pay required child support, the government can deduct this money directly from their paychecks and provide it to you—for a fee of $25 per year.  Nationally, over 69 percent all of child support is paid through automatic deductions. To receive help in obtaining child-support payments, please find information about your counties’ child support agency at: www.dwd.state.wi.us/bcs/cslist.htm.

4. Food

Sometimes, it’s hard to afford enough food for your whole family, especially at the end of the month.  Yet, Community Action Agencies throughout the state can help you get through these situations. To help reduce the number of times that you experience shortages of food, Community Action Agencies will help you enroll in public program, designed to assist individuals with jobs.  Please use the map on the following website to find a Community Action Agency that supports your community:
www.wiscap.org.  

Home Ownership

Many Community Action Agencies can assist you in purchasing a first home, by helping you save enough money for a down-payment or closing costs. If you are struggling to keep your own home, some Community Action Agencies can help you to prevent a foreclosure.  Please use the map on the following website to find a Community Action Agency that supports your community: www.wiscap.org.  

Transportation

Three organizations offer low-interest loans that do not exceed $4,000 to help qualified Wisconsin residents purchase reliable transportation. If you live nearby, please contact each organization directly to learn more about their Ways to Work program. 

Green Bay (http://www.familyservicesnew.org/WaysToWork.htm)
Rashad Cobb
Family Services of NE Wisconsin
300 Crooks Street, Green Bay, WI 54301
PO Box 22308
Green Bay, WI 54305-2308
(920) 436-4360

Milwaukee (http://www.cr-sdc.org/Programs/WaysToWork.html)
Social Development Commission
4041 N. Richards Street
Milwaukee, WI 53212-1232
Inquiry Line: (414) 906-2822

Waukesha (http://www.lacasadeesperanza.org/waystowork.html )
Johnny Moscoso
La Casa De Esperanza
410 Arcadian Avenue
Waukesha, WI 53186-5005
(262) 832-1509

Credit Unions: Alternatives to Payday Lending and Refund Application

Many Wisconsin residents rely on payday lenders to obtain cash for unexpected expenses, such as car repairs, a sick child’s medical bills or higher-than-expected gas prices or utility bills.  Yet through a REAL Solutions initiative, you can request a small loan from credit unions in Wisconsin for these unexpected expenses, at a much lower cost.  Please use this website to find a credit union near you that participates in the REAL Solutions initiative.

Many companies that charge you for preparing taxes will provide you with EITC refunds immediately at a cost that usually exceeds $125.  Yet, you can receive a fast EITC refund at no charge by establishing an account at—and thereby, becoming a member of—one of the following Wisconsin credit unions. Please visit this website for more information.

CNA Resources

The following link provides nursing assitants with many different resources: Click here

 Tell Us Your Story

Has our resource page been able to help you?  If so, please tell us how.  We’d love to be able to share your success with other caregivers!

E-mail: info@wicaregivers.com