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Want to help the #OlderAdults you serve boost their money IQ? Stick with us all during #FinancialLiteracyMonth for tips and strategies to help them spend less, save more, and improve their #FinancialSecurity. Today, we’re talking about 6 benefits that can lower food costs. Learn what these #FoodAssistance programs are—and how to take the guesswork out of enrolling in them.👇 #BoostYourBudgetWeek #BoostYourBudget #BYB2024 https://lnkd.in/e6rMRA8K

Today the The Trussell Trust released our latest parcel stats and unfortunately the level of need in Scotland is largely unchanged on last year's record levels. Between April 2023 and March 2024, 262,479 emergency food parcels were provided by food banks in the Trussell network. Shockingly, 60% of these food parcels were for families with children, up 21% on 5 years ago and up even more (28%) for families with three or more children. Alongside our latest stats, we have also published today new research (conducted by the Fraser of Allander Institute) which shows that the Scottish Child Payment has had only a limited impact on food parcels for families and that this impact has been for single parent households and families with three of more children. The research finds that this positive impact was mostly seen when the payment was increased to £25 a week and extended up to age 16. If the Scottish Child Payment is to make more of a widespread impact, it needs to be increased to at least £40 a week and we are urging the new First Minister to commit to this in his first Programme for Government. ➡️ You can read the new Scottish Child Payment research here: https://bit.ly/SCPImpact ➡️ You can check out our End of Year Stats for Scotland and the whole of the UK here: https://lnkd.in/eMffYbgF ➡️ You can read our Head of Scotland, Polly Jones, commenting on the new SCP research in today's Holyrood Daily: https://lnkd.in/eHf3sWfb

Deeply sobering that this is the reality. Even more poignant that, ultimately, this is about marginal differences in alleviation (as huge an impact as that makes at a human level for hungry children and stressed families). So thank goodness for The Trussell Trust and others for fighting for that human impact. But 'symptom management', ultimately, it remains. Systemic, structural, societal, economic, cultural, educational, cross-sectoral RADICAL change is required to create child prosperity across society, not 'just' alleviate child poverty, a sticking plaster at a time. Will you join Matt Stewart at The Child Prosperity Partnership as part of those collective efforts?

Tuesday Togetherness - UNDERSTANDING THE COSTS OF AGED CARE : HELPING FAMILIES GET READY The discussion about aged care is marked by the harsh reality of the cost of care which often catches families off guard and unprepared for the financial responsibilities that come with providing quality care for their elderly loved ones. The Financial Burden of Aged Care Australia, known for its excellent healthcare, faces the challenge of high expenses associated with aged care. The costs of accommodation, healthcare services, and specialised care continue to increase; thus becoming a significant financial burden for families. Rising Costs vs. Family Readiness Many families are not ready to manage these financial demands. The lack of preparedness arises from various factors, including: ·        misunderstanding government support, ·        inadequate financial planning, and ·        underestimating the long-term care costs. Families often leave planning or action until the last minute. Government Assistance and the Reality Gap While the Australian government offers financial aid for aged care, the support falls short of covering the actual costs which families encounter leaving families to deal with significant financial shortfalls. The Importance of Planning and Awareness Empowering families with education and accurate information, and encouraging proactive financial planning is essential. To reduce the financial stress that families may face, it is vital to: ·        Understand the actual costs associated with aged care, ·        Explore different aged care options, and ·        Seek professional advice – Financial Planner, Tax, Social Worker and more. Advocating for Change and Awareness It's time to shed light on the real costs of aged care in order to create a more prepared and informed community. There is a need to: ·        Bridge the gap between government support and actual expenses, and ·        Increase public awareness about the financial and human complexities of aged care. By promoting a better understanding of these costs and providing stronger support to families in managing these financial pressures, we can work towards a future where families are better prepared to offer the care their elders deserve. Let's unite to bring about the change and awareness required to ensure that every elderly member of our society receives the quality care which they deserve without imposing undue financial burdens on their families. Call me to find out how I can assist you to manage the cost of aged care. #AgedCareCostsAustralia #FamilyFinancialPlanning #ElderlyCareChallenges #AustralianAgedCare #CostlyElderlyCare #FinancialStrainFamilies #FamilyFinancialPreparedness #LongTermCarePlanning #GovernmentAgedCareSupport #FinancialAidGap #FinancialPlanningAdvice #AgedCareCostAwareness #FinancialAwarenessCampaign Frank Choy Anne Neilan Dr Leanne Elich (PhD. C-IQ. GAICD) Suzy Yates Malcolm Auld Lisa Jay Gus Cerezo

Crain's editorial: Support Issue 26, Cuyahoga County's health and human services levy renewal https://lnkd.in/gqUKyx4n Programs that protect children from abuse and neglect. Trauma and burn care at MetroHealth. Meals on Wheels for seniors. Mental health and addiction treatment. Emergency housing for veterans and the disabled. Those are just some of the vital services in Cuyahoga County that rely on the support of taxpayers, who have an important responsibility on the March 19 ballot: passing Issue 26, a 4.8-mill renewal levy that provides about half the funding for Cuyahoga County Health and Human Services. It's not a tax increase. Issue 26 renews a levy that passed eight years ago. (The county's other health and human services levy passed in 2020 with the support of about 70% of voters.) We encourage voters to continue that level of support for the Issue 26 renewal levy, which generates about $137 million a year and, critically, allows the county to attract matching dollars from the state and federal governments. "This is about as bipartisan an issue as you can get," said Cuyahoga County Council member Jack H. Schron Jr., a Republican, last week during a discussion with Crain's about Issue 26. Also part of the meeting were two prominent Democrats: Council president Pernel Jones Jr. and, by phone, County Executive Chris Ronayne. They underscored the broad support for programs funded through Issue 26. About 200,000 families in Cuyahoga County, and about 500,000 individuals, make use of these programs every year. The services are critical for helping people get through difficult periods in their lives and, in many cases, put them back on a path to improve their quality of life. "This is the core of our purpose in county government," Ronayne said. He noted, correctly, that the county can't grow jobs, education and its economy "if we can't take care of the people who need us the most." These are challenging financial times for many voters. The backers of Issue 26 don't take support for granted, even on an issue that traditionally has been favored broadly by voters. They laid out, clearly and with purpose, how the programs supported by the levy's renewal benefit everyone who lives in the county. "It's about human development and economic development," Jones said, adding that Issue 26 is "an investment in the well-being of our residents.” This Tuesday, Feb. 20, is the deadline to register to vote in the March 19 primary. If you don't typically vote in primaries, do it this time. Early voting starts Wednesday, Feb 21. Issue 26 deserves your support.

"Despite comments from Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, stating that, “The American people can breathe a sigh of relief: There will be no government shutdown,” the reality is that the problem hasn’t been stopped so much as it has been deferred. In the hours before the end of the current fiscal year, Congress came together for a bill that serves as a stopgap measure to hold off the potential of a government shutdown. While H.R. 5860 provides fiscal appropriations to federal agencies, it only extends funding until Nov. 17, leaving its fate up in the air as Congress returns to negotiations. For states and localities, the primary threat of a potential shutdown lies in the way it would dry up federal funds necessary for some key aspects of day-to-day operations and essential programs. A primary concern is the way that a shutdown moves the burden of funding onto the states and cities themselves, exerting pressure on already tight budgets. Another worry is the impact on public health and safety programs, which tend to serve historically vulnerable groups, according to Yucel Ors, director of public safety and crime prevention at the National League of Cities. Citing future furloughs for the Department of Justice’s COPS Office, Office of Justice Programs and the Office of Violence Against Women (notable for the grants they provide to state and local government for public safety purposes), Ors pointed out that, “All of these furloughs depend on how long the government shutdown is. The longer it takes to bring back these services. It's going to have a significant impact on a lot of the efforts local governments are doing to improve their public safety, address some of the violence issues and improving community relations.” Health-care budgets at the state and local level will also come under pressure in the event of a future government shutdown. G. William Hoagland, a senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center, expressed concern for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). “If the shutdown continues, there's no money, there'll be no money,” he says. “There'll be some carryover money, but the WIC program is the one that I'm most concerned about in terms of infants and children, that of course has a major health-care angle to it.” In March 2023, the president's budget requested $6.3 billion in budget authority for WIC to serve a projected increase in caseload to an average of 6.5 million participants across fiscal year 2024, according to the National WIC Association. The 45-day reprieve provides room for both uncertainties and opportunities. Agencies at the state and local level have more time to plan how to adjust their budgets in the face of a potential late-fall shutdown if Congress can’t come to an agreement about finalizing the appropriation bills for fiscal year 2024." Continue reading in the article below. #mygovus #buildingbettercommunities

Good news with an increase of 24,100 Home Care Packages in tonight’s Federal Budget. Reprioritising unspent Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) funds to other parts of the aged care system is concerning. CHSP funds basic services like meals on wheels, domestic assistance and transport. It needs to grow, not be cut. The ABC ran a story in the lead up to the Budget outlining the closed waiting lists for CHSP services across the country. Meals on Wheels™ Australia, Aged & Community Care Providers Association, Australian Ageing Agenda, Inside Ageing, HelloCareAU

Our government is committed to making life easier for New Brunswickers who need it most – and quickly. That's why we're implementing the following measures: • A policy change for spousal contributions to facility-based care to ensure at least 60 per cent of the household income remains with the spouse at home, effective in January. • A $200 Low-Income Seniors’ Affordability Supplement to recipients of the Low-Income Seniors’ Benefit for the 2023 benefit year. This supplement, which is in addition to the existing $400 Low-Income Seniors’ Benefit, will remain in place until the Low-Income Seniors’ Benefit is permanently increased to $600. • A monthly $200 household supplement for social assistance recipients and youth engagement services recipients to help with the rising cost of food and shelter, effective in February. https://lnkd.in/gGB6XQbd

In 2020, New Jersey switched to an enrollment-based child-care subsidy policy from the existing attendance-based system, both for public health purposes and to ensure a consistent stream of income to child-care providers during the pandemic. This shift in subsidy payment mechanisms was supported by temporary federal government COVID relief funds, which are set to expire on December 31, 2023. The New Jersey State Policy Lab research team, which included Andrea Hetling, Gregory Porumbescu, and Henry Coleman, was asked to analyze the relative costs and other implications of these two payment mechanisms. They developed a study combining quantitative financial analysis and quantitative research through focus groups which has been prepared into a new report, Child-Care Provider Subsidies in New Jersey: An Analysis of Issues, Impacts, and Options:

This summer, more than half of U.S. states will provide extra food stamp support to low-income families. However, unequal access to government aid persists across states, since 15 governors opted out of the program. Poverty Solutions director Luke Shaefer joins the conversation about how Americans' access to government benefits is getting more unequal: “It’s not just food assistance, it’s so many different things," Shaefer said, pointing to how Medicaid benefits, higher minimum wages and more robust unemployment benefits all vary by state. “It’s really across policy after policy that you’re seeing this gap widen.” Read on: https://myumi.ch/y2DqW University of Michigan - Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy #FoodStamps #SNAP