The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is already helping thousands of children and families in Delaware County.  Here's how.

How PA Benefits	People Helped	Explanation of Benefits
Tax Relief	237,570	Taxpaying individuals and households – all but high earners qualify for taxpayer relief
Unemployment Compensation	6,400	Jobless adults will receive a boost in Unemployment Compensation
Health Insurance for Unemployed	17,400	Unemployed persons qualify for more help purchasing health insurance
Health Insurance	75,022	Low income children and adults will continue to have access to health care through Medical Assistance
Children's Health Insurance	8,191	Children and teenagers will continue to receive their health care through Pennsylvania’s CHIP and Cover All Kids.
Food Assistance	45,758	Hungry children and adults will receive more help through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps)

* all numbers are estimates for this county

Taxpayer Relief
Individuals earning up to $75,000 will receive a $400 tax credit in 2009 and 2010.  Married couples filing jointly and earning up to $150,000 will receive a $800 tax credit.  237,570 individuals and households in Delaware County filed state tax returns in 2006 and will likely qualify for a tax credit.

A Better Safety Net for the Unemployed
There were 6,400 unemployed persons in Delaware County who qualified for unemployment compensation at the beginning of the year.  The Recovery Act will help these Pennsylvanians with a $25 per week increase in unemployment benefits through the rest of the year.  It also provides additional weeks of benefits through December 31, 2009.

Healthcare for Unemployed through COBRA
The Recovery Act will help make health care available to individuals who are involuntarily separated from their jobs.   A new COBRA subsidy will pay 65 percent of the monthly premium for individuals earning less than $145,000 and couples earning less than $290,000.  Individuals who were separated from their employment after September 1, 2008 and before January 1, 2010 will likely be eligible.  There were 17,400 unemployed persons in Delaware County at the beginning of the year who could potentially benefit from this provision of the Recovery Act. 

Healthcare for Low Income Children and Adults
The Recovery Act will make it possible for low income children, adults and families to continue to receive their health care through the Pennsylvania Medical Assistance program.  75,022 persons in Delaware County received help from Medical Assistance at the beginning of the year.  Federal support will also help 8,191 children and teens in Delaware who are not eligible for Medical Assistance receive health care through Pennsylvania’s Cover All Kids program.

Food Stamps (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program or SNAP)
The Recovery Act will help low income individuals and families with a 13.69% increase in the maximum Food Stamp benefit (effective April 2009).  It also suspends the 3 month limit on assistance for many unemployed childless adults for the next 18 months.  45,758 persons in Delaware County received help from Food Stamps at the beginning of the year.