Screening Families for Benefit Eligibility
Going a step beyond the provision of information, cities can arrange to screen families for benefit eligibility at free tax preparation sites or other community locations. Screeners not only inform clients about possible support programs, but also walk through a series of simple questions to get a better sense of whether they are likely to be eligible and, if so, the relative size of the benefit they might expect. There are a variety of tools that have been developed to facilitate the screening process, including some on paper and a growing number that utilize technology to quickly make these calculations. (For information on several of the major technology products in this area, see Appendix A).
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