Beginning next month, Lucas County will participate in a state-funded pilot program to assist individuals who find themselves at the edge of the benefits cliff.
The Benefits Bridge Pilot Program will target people who are forced to turn down promotions or maintain lower hours out of fear of losing benefits.
It is a math problem, explained Wendy Gramza, president and CEO of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce. People may gain $500 a week with a promotion, but when they report that promotion to Jobs and Family Services, they could lose $2,000 a week in benefits, she said.
The state-funded Benefits Bridge Pilot Program will work to minimize scenarios like these and empower people to climb upward in the workplace.
The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services will provide a little under $2.2 million that will go toward weaning families off benefits and providing additional wraparound services, including financial literacy training and peer mentoring, county Commissioner Lisa Sobecki said.
While the county commissioners’ office, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, Lucas County Department of Jobs and Family Services, and Harbor all were part of the collaborative effort to secure funding for the county, Harbor and JFS will take the lead in administering the program to about 80 families over a period of up to 18 months.
Nearly 38,000 adults receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in Lucas County, said Ms. Sobecki. JFS will target this group to identify participants who have recently lost benefits as a result of increasing earnings.
Ms. Sobecki, who was formerly a Jobs and Family Services caseworker and state representative, has had unique insight into the realities of the benefits cliff.
“I have witnessed families who have had to make very tough decisions to ensure their kids have child care, food in their bellies, and their medical needs are met,” Ms. Sobecki said. “These parents have had to turn down promotions to keep benefits and feed their children.
“They might opt for less hours; they might quit their job altogether so they don’t lose the critical necessities that are holding their family together she noted. “In actuality, this should never happen.”
Breda Osburn, director of JFS in Lucas County, said she’s excited that this program will allow tailored responses to each family’s needs. Because the funding is not only coming from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, there are far fewer spending restrictions, she explained.
“It’s really unique in the sense that it’s not just TANF dollars — which is what we usually get — which has a myriad of requirements around it and disallowable costs,” Ms. Osburn said.
The pilot program will not only aid people at risk of losing benefits, but also employers who are trying to keep quality employees.
“We know that attracting and retaining employees is a problem for many, if not all, of our employers in the region,” Ms. Gramza said.
Addressing the benefits cliff is an additional avenue to ensure employers can retain staff members and promote those who are deserving.
“We should not be discouraging any residents in Lucas County from accepting or pursuing a job that pays a higher salary simply because they would lose their benefits,” Ms. Sobecki said. “Instead, we should empower these hardworking employees to obtain long-term financial and economic stability and self-sustainability.”
The program is expected to launch in August.
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