| Impact on Individuals in Oregon |
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| Introduction |
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Individual Oregonians will receive direct assistance from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. If you are an individual seeking benefits for you or your family, please see below.
As additional information becomes available, we will update this information.
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| How do I apply for assistance if I want to weatherize my home? |
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The Recovery Act includes help for low-income Oregonians to reduce their energy costs by weatherizing their homes. Residents who qualify may receive help toward:
- Ceiling, wall and floor insulation
- Energy-related minor home repairs
- Energy conservation education
- Air infiltration reduction
- Furnace repair and replacement
- Heating duct improvements
For more information on who you can contact to apply, visit the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department and click on "Get Assistance by County."
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| What assistance can I receive to make my home more "green"? |
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There is help for low-income Oregonians to weatherize/insulate their homes, noted above. However, the Recovery Act does not include dollars for individuals to buy solar panels or other "green" technologies for their homes. Get information on weatherization assistance by visiting the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department, and clicking on "Get Assistance by County."
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| What options do I have to make my housing more energy efficient? |
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You may be eligible for upgrades to make your federally subsidized, residential property serving low-income persons more energy efficient. Contact the housing authority in your area. Visit the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department for more information on the Public Housing Capital Fund.
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| What help is available to Oregonians on foreclosure? |
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Foreclosure counseling is available from Oregon experts certified by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. To schedule an appointment, call (800) SAFENET (723-3638). Given the surge in Oregon foreclosures, these counselors are very busy. So, please be patient.
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| What financial assistance is available for college costs? |
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The federal government is the single largest source of information about financial help for college students and their families. Find information online at www.ED.gov or go to www.college.gov. Additionally, the Recovery Act did increase funding for both Pell Grants and Work Study programs and you can find additional information about federal and state financial assistance by visiting the Oregon Student Assistance Commission at www.GetCollegefunds.org.
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| If I've lost my job, what services are available to help me? |
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Contact your local Workforce Investment Act program with job training and availability. Also, go online to WorkSource Oregon, Oregon's Web site that helps connect Oregon employers and job seekers to thousands of job openings. These job openings include every skill level, occupation and salary. If you have a severe disability and need vocational rehabilitation services, you may be eligible for personalized services to help you find and keep a job. For more information on disability resources, check out the disability navigator.
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| Can small business owners get loan assistance? |
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The Recovery Act included many new financial assistance programs for small businesses through the Small Business Administration (SBA). Check out the SBA Web site for more information.
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| How will Food Assistance be affected? |
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If you receive food assistance (formerly called food stamps), the stimulus bill provides a 13% increase in the monthly benefit. If you are currently enrolled in the program, you will automatically receive this increase. It will be added to your monthly benefit allowance on your EBT card beginning on April 1, 2009. If you are not currently receiving food assistance and believe you may be eligible, please check out the Department of Human Services (DHS) Children, Adults and Families (CAF) Division for eligibility information. The eligibility determination and issuance of benefits are provided through DHS offices across the state.
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| Will Social Security & Supplemental Security Income be affected? |
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Recipients of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income will receive a one-time payment of $250. If you are currently a recipient, you do not need to do anything to receive this payment. It is expected to be available in late May. This federal program is administered by the Social Security Administration, and not the State of Oregon. For more information or to see if you are eligible for benefits, see http://www.ssa.gov/payment/.
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| How will Unemployment Compensation Benefits be affected? |
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Every Oregonian receiving unemployment benefits will now see a $25 increase in their weekly benefits. For Oregon, this could mean up to $200 million in additional federal funds.
Additionally, the Recovery Act extends the time a person can file for Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) until December 31, 2009. EUC allows for up to 33 weeks of unemployment benefits for those who exhaust their original 26-week claim.
With Oregon experiencing a high unemployment rate, the state is eligible for the Extended Benefits (EB) Program. The EB Program allows for up to 20 additional weeks of benefits for Oregonians who have exhausted their original 26-week claim and their EUC claim.
There is a total of 79 weeks of benefits available through these state and federal programs.
If you are not receiving unemployment benefits and believe you may be eligible, please see the answer under the question: "I lost my job, what help is available to me?"
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| How will COBRA Health Insurance be affected? |
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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act pays up to 65 percent of health insurance premiums for individuals who lose their jobs and continue their employer coverage either through COBRA or state continuation.
The COBRA law applies to employers with 20 or more employees; state continuation is for employers with fewer than 20 employees. In both cases, workers who lose their jobs can continue with their employer health insurance plan, but the premiums can be extremely expensive.
ARRA provides the 65 percent subsidy for nine months for workers who involuntarily lose their jobs from September 1, 2008, through December 31, 2009. Workers who lost their jobs during that period but failed to initially continue their coverage because it was too expensive have a second opportunity to decide to continue coverage and take advantage of the subsidy.
This subsidy phases out for individuals whose modified adjusted gross income exceeds $125,000, or $250,000 for those filing joint returns. Taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income exceeding $145,000, or $290,000 for those filing joint returns, do not qualify for the subsidy.
For more information, go to the Department of Consumer and Business Services Web site or call the department's Insurance Division consumer advocates at (888) 877-4894.
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| How will Medicaid, Child Care or Health Care be affected? |
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If you would like to find out if you eligible for cash assistance, child care assistance, or health care assistance through Medicaid, please contact the Department of Human Services.
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| How will Federal Tax Benefits be affected? |
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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.
For more information on federal tax changes, click here.
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| I lost my job. What help is available to me? |
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Unemployment Benefits
Apply for unemployment benefits online.
Even if you think you may not qualify, apply anyway. You will be given specific instructions on how to proceed. To apply online, go to www.WorkingInOregon.org/ocs.
If you do not have internet access, you can call one of our Unemployment Insurance Centers:
- Northwest Oregon (877) 877-1871
- Willamette Valley & Southern Oregon (877) 728-7970
- Central & Eastern Oregon (800) 663-7914
WorkSource Oregon
WorkSource Oregon is a statewide network that stimulates job growth by connecting businesses and workers with the resources they need to succeed. WorkSource Oregon is a network of public and private partners working together for businesses and workers to ensure businesses have trained workers, provide resources to help Oregon's unemployed and underemployed get connected with the employers that are right for them and help connect businesses with the resources they need to grow their workforce. These job openings include every skill level, occupation and salary.
To locate a WorkSource Center, click here.
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