Assistance for individuals

Health insurance

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides a 65% subsidy for health insurance to most workers who’ve been laid-off between Sept. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2009.

For more information:

• COBRA subsidy eligibility

• About continuing your health insurance if you are or were a state employee, call toll-free 1-800-200-1004.

• About keeping coverage or trying to find a new health care plan, call the toll-free Insurance Consumer Hotline at 1-800-562-6900.

Construction contractors

Visit State Contracting Opportunities for more information.

Employment and training

Looking for a job? The Employment Security Department’s WorkSource service offers valuable employment and training services to help you with your job hunt.

Federal tax benefits

A number of new federal tax benefits are available, including an immediate reduction in payroll taxes for most workers, increases in the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits, as well as benefits for retirees, parents, people saving for college, first-time homebuyers, car buyers and more. Learn more about federal tax changes.

Food assistance

The Act provides a 13% increase in the monthly benefit for those receiving food assistance (formerly called food stamps). If you are now enrolled in the program, you will automatically receive this increase, which will be added to your monthly benefit allowance on your EBT card beginning April 1, 2009.

If you do not receive food assistance and believe you may be eligible, please see the links below for more information.

• General program information

• Benefit estimator

• To apply for food assistance

Foreclosure

Free state-sponsored counseling is available to Washington residents who are facing foreclosure, thinking of buying a home or considering refinancing. To speak with a counselor, call the Washington Homeownership Information Hotline at 1-877-894-HOME (1-877-894-4663). You will be connected to a counselor near you who can help.

Or visit the Department of Financial Institutions Website for homeowners.

Medicaid benefits (cash assistance, child care, health care)

To find out if you are eligible for cash assistance, child care assistance or health care assistance through Medicaid, click here.

Small business owners

Most of the funds coming from the Act have been designated for specific uses. They will be dispersed by the federal government directly to targeted end-uses. Some funds will go directly to local governments and other funds will be handled through state agencies. For more information, visit:

• Recovery.wa.gov for a list of state programs and contacts for the funds to be distributed through state government

• Recovery.gov

• Small Business Administration recovery resources for small businesses

While not tied to recovery funds, the state offers a variety of resources for small businesses:

• The Department of Commerce's “2009 Guide for Small Business in Washington State” provides resources needed to start and successfully manage a business. It includes information and access to state services and agencies, federal and local agencies, associations, economic development centers, associate development organizations and Innovation Partnership Zones.

• ChooseWashington.com for loan programs, county resource directory and a searchable database for services, grants and loans.

• Access Washington for links to business assistance.

• Washington’s Small Business Development Centers, which provide small business owners with training and free counseling for day-to-day business operations, business plans, bookkeeping systems and mapping out business strategies.

• Washington State Microenterprise Association

Social Security & Supplemental Security Income

Recipients of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income will receive a one-time payment of $250. If you are now a recipient, you do not need to do anything to receive this payment. It is expected to be available in late May 2009. This federal program is administered by the Social Security Administration and not the state of Washington. Learn more about benefit eligibility.

Student financial aid

Maximum Pell Grant amounts will increase from about $4,700 to $5,350 over two years. 105,000 Washington students receive Pell Grants. Funding from the federal government goes directly to the school. Please contact the financial aid office of your college.

• To get connected to a community college

• To get connected to a public 4-year college or university

Unemployment compensation benefits

Eligible recipients of unemployment compensation benefits can receive up to 59 weeks of unemployment benefits. This 59-week total is composed of 26 weeks of regular, state-funded unemployment benefits and an additional 33 weeks of federally funded emergency unemployment benefits (known as EUC benefits).

The Recovery Act extends the deadline on EUC benefits so they are available through December 2009 and increases the weekly benefit by $25.

Eligible individuals will automatically receive payments retroactive to the week of February 21–28, 2009, as soon as the system is updated. The Act also suspends the first $2,400 paid in unemployment benefits from federal income tax for tax year 2009 only. This adjustment will be made when you file your 2009 federal tax forms next year.

• To apply for emergency unemployment insurance, you must complete a paper application. You can get one from your local WorkSource office or by calling the EUC Unit at 1-877-558-8509.

• Learn more about unemployment benefits, including instructions for how to apply.