Financial Wellness Partnership Update
July 2021
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United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona circulates this monthly newsletter focused on financial wellness topics. In this edition, learn the latest about our last network and focus team meetings, learning sessions around continuous improvement, the Child Tax Credit, opportunities for low-cost prescriptions, and more. |
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Financial Wellness Partnership Meeting Notes - June 2021 |
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Our general Financial Wellness Partnership meetings give staff at nonprofit and partner organizations an opportunity to learn about financial wellness-related programs in Pima County and how to connect with their staff. At our June meeting, we heard from Liz Gulick, Co-President and CEO of Goodwill of Southern Arizona. Goodwill's resources include Job Connection centers (open for drop-in appointments as of July 1st), where job seekers can receive guidance about resumes and access to computers/printers; Youth Opportunity Accelerators, which include individualized support and mentoring for young people aged 16-24 to explore careers like IT; Metro/REC, which offers GED testing for all youth in the community each Monday; and the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project, which provides case management support for young people recently housed or in need of housing.
Later in the meeting, we discussed ongoing work to survey organizations providing financial wellness programs and services. The last part of the meeting gave everyone an opportunity to use Mural to provide feedback about the work of our two focus teams and offer ideas about specific actions that could be helpful to move efforts forward.
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The group is using the above framework to understand which programs and services contribute to Financial Wellness and inform provider surveys. |
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Save the date for our next meeting - Thursday 8/26, 1-2:30pm. These general meetings include presentations from local organizations offering programs/services related to Financial Wellness. Meetings also include updates about projects by our focus teams and United Way Financial Wellness department. All are welcome to Zoom in and join. Email Lisa Floran (lfloran@unitedwaytucson.org) for more information.
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Public Policy Team
Our Public Policy Team met in July and finalized a working definition of financial wellness. They also discussed different ideas for initial projects and decided to start by identifying existing groups, coalitions, and legislative committees/offices working on financial wellness. This list will serve as one aspect of a landscape scan, helping us understand where efforts are and are not currently underway and which groups to engage on different issues. At the next meeting, we will review our evolving list and discuss next steps for collaborating with them.
Next meeting: Wednesday 8/11 at 1pm
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Collaborative Referrals Team
At the July meeting, this team discussed the upcoming Financial Wellness Service Provider Survey, learned about the AHCCCS statewide initiative for social determinants of health closed loop referrals, and discussed prior United Way efforts to centralize intake forms. They decided to move forward with designing a simplified referral form that organizations can use to initiate conversations about referrals with other providers. We will likely be reviewing the draft form at our next group meeting and talking through communication and follow-up expectations for using it.
Next meeting: Thursday 8/19 at 10am
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The Public Policy group used Mural to organize ideas and inform decisions about which projects to pursue first. |
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All are welcome to participate in focus team work groups. If you would like to get involved, email Lisa Floran: lfloran@unitedwaytucson.org
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Learning Session: Strategic Planning for Continuous Improvement |
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At our June Financial Wellness Partnership meeting, we surveyed participants about possible topics for a learning session from Viable Insights. The group selected Strategic Planning and Continuous Improvement, so we are happy to share that Viable Insights will be presenting a free, interactive session on this topic for us in August.
This session is designed to help organizations leverage their strategic plans to guide efforts and learning. Doing so often requires re-envisioning how we step into the planning space and having critical conversations that prioritize continuous improvement - thinking about the why and for whom. This learning session is intended to begin that conversation by highlighting:
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What strategic planning is;
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Why it is a valuable exercise to engage in;
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When it should occur;
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Who should be involved;
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And how - after setting this important foundation - to use key tools to develop a robust strategic plan that is both actionable and adaptive.
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Advance Child Tax Credit: What to Know |
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The Child Tax Credit has changed for the 2021 tax year, as part of legislation passed by Congress with the American Rescue Plan Act. Families who meet income requirements ($75,000 for a single filer / $112,500 for head of household / $150,000 for married filer) and whose children have a social security number should be eligible. (Note that parents/guardians do not need a SSN to receive payment and can file with a ITIN.) Analysts estimate that these changes will help 93% of Arizona children reap benefits and move 112,000 of them above the poverty line.
If an individual filed their 2020 taxes, the IRS will use that information to understand how many children they have, their income, and banking information for where to send payments – no additional action needed. Monthly payments will be distributed in the same way as any 2020 tax refunds (ex. direct deposit, paper check). If someone did not file their 2020 taxes, the IRS will use information from 2019 taxes. People who do not usually file taxes but meet the requirements can use the Non-Filers Tool (link below) to receive the credit.
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Key Credit Changes for 2021
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The Child Tax Credit is fully refundable for 2021: Previously, some families with lower incomes were only receiving up to $1,400 per child because they didn’t owe much in income tax. Now, all eligible families can receive the full credit.
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The credit amount per child has increased: Recent maximum benefit for the credit was $2,000 per child. Now, eligible individuals should expect to receive a total of $3,000 total per child ages 6-17 and $3,600 total per child under 6 years old, for each child they intend to claim on their 2021 tax return.
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Children aged 17 are now eligible for the benefit: Recently, only children under age 17 qualified for the credit. This year, the credit also includes children who are 17 years old.
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Credits will be paid out in monthly installments for the remainder of 2021: Starting in mid-July, eligible families will receive monthly payments of $250-$300 per child. Monthly payments will continue through December 2021, at which time half of the credit will have been paid out and the second half will need to be claimed on the 2021 tax return.
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Scam Alert! We are already hearing from people who have received scam text messages and phishing requests related to the Child Tax Credit. Keep in mind that the IRS doesn't initiate contact by email, text messages, or social media channels to request personal or financial information – even information related to advance Child Tax Credit payments. Also, watch out for emails with attachments or links claiming to have special information about advance Child Tax Credit payments or refunds of the Child Tax Credit.
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Helpful websites and more information
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Advance Child Tax Credit Payments in 2021: The main IRS webpage with updates, additional links, and answers to FAQs about the CTC.
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Manage Payments/Update Portal: Use this portal to check enrollment status and processed payments; additional features, such as the ability to edit personal information, will be added in coming months.
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Non-Filers Tool: Individuals who did not file taxes in 2019 or 2020 but should be eligible for the credit can enter their information here.
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ChildTaxCredit.gov: Helpful overview from The White House – includes different eligibility scenarios to help people understand how the changes may affect them.
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Free Tax Assistance Resources: Visit United Way’s VITA page for local tax assistance resources, year-round. You can also find tips around navigating missing payments here.
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Legislative Update: Housing Trust Fund |
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Earlier this summer, Governor Ducey signed the state affordable housing tax credit proposal into law. At $160 million, this low income housing tax credit (LIHTC) is Arizona's largest state investment in affordable housing to date. According to the Arizona Housing Coalition, Arizona's LIHTC program is modeled after the federal public-private program signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. Since its inception, the federal LIHTC has been responsible for approximately 97% of all the affordable housing in Arizona. Arizona’s state LIHTC will ensure that housing units are priced affordably and rented to residents with incomes below the area’s median income.
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Learn more: Attend the virtual public hearing on Thursday 7/29 at 10am and learn how to offer comments about the State LIHTC implementation - ADOH Public Bulletin
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Program Spotlight: SingleCare |
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United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona partners with SingleCare (formerly FamilyWize) to provide community members with access to affordable prescription medications. To date, this program has helped over 100,000 people in Southern Arizona save more than $9 million on prescriptions. The SingleCare prescription savings card is always free to use by everyone and has no registration or eligibility requirements - it can be used right away. This program can help people save up to 80% on 10,000+ prescription medications and is accepted at major pharmacy chains nationwide.
Once signed up, a member just needs to show the savings card to their pharmacist when they fill a prescription at a participating pharmacy. The discount will be automatically applied at checkout. Members can use their card as often as they want, and cards do not expire. Cards may also be used for family members’ prescriptions and shared with friends.
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Resources and Opportunities |
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Additional Information
Eviction Prevention Resources - The Tucson Pima EPP portal for rental and utility assistance is still open, working with a network of 10 nonprofits to distribute relief funds from the City of Tucson and Pima County. Tenants are encouraged to sign up for the waitlist in order to be considered.
2-1-1 Eviction Assistance App - Answer a series of questions in approximately two minutes and receive detailed, individual, step-by-step guidance to about housing assistance and resources
AZ Eviction Help - Information about eviction processes, tenant rights, and resources for rental assistance, utility assistance, legal assistance compiled by the Arizona Bar Association
AHCCCS Vaccine Navigators - The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), in partnership with Crisis Response Network, announces a new COVID-19 appointment and transportation navigation program for Medicaid members. Now, Medicaid members who need assistance scheduling a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, as well as transportation to and from that appointment, can call 1-844-542-8201, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week.
Vaccine Ambassadorship Toolkit: This toolkit from TPCH provides advocate resources related to accurate vaccine education and trauma-informed discussions about the vaccines with people experiencing homelessness.
Who is Your Person? Resources from National Healthcare Decisions Day - National Healthcare Decisions Day is a day designed to help raise public awareness of the need to plan ahead for end-of-life healthcare decisions. The AZ End of Life Care Partnership is offering workshops with community partners all week – find a schedule and materials on their website.
Tax Resources - UWTSA webpage also includes information to FAQs and recent changes to IRS tax law and policy
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The Financial Wellness Partnership seeks to improve the financial wellness of individuals and families by increasing accessibility to effective services, resources, and opportunities, and by influencing policy to
develop equitable, people-centered systems that support financial wellness.
If you have questions or suggestions for future newsletters, please contact Lisa Floran, Senior Director of Financial Wellness Initiatives at United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona: lfloran@unitedwaytucson.org
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