Credit Where Credit’s Due

Bright by Text

and

MyFriendBen

📍Denver, Colorado

Bright by Text is an online platform used to send text messages directly to individuals in target ZIP codes with information about available tax and benefit programs. Several nonprofits and community partners frequently use Bright by Text to share information with parents, so it is a trusted service through which government agencies could share timely, accurate information.

MyFriendBen is a universal screening tool that helps people identify benefits (over 50 city, county, state, and federal programs and services) for which they likely qualify and approximately how long it will take to apply to each. The tool reduced processing time for users from 45 to approximately eight minutes while maintaining over 90% accuracy regarding program eligibility.

Georgia Gateway

📍 Georgia Department of Human Services

The Georgia Gateway allows residents to determine their eligibility and apply for six government benefits using a single application. The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services uses data from prior applications to determine eligibility through an automated process—Express Lane Eligibility—to enroll or renew children under age 19 who are already receiving one public benefit into the Medical Assistance Program.

Tax Credits

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County-Wide Integrated System

📍 Montgomery County, Maryland (DC area)

The Montgomery County Working Families Income Supplement provides a 56% match of the state EITC to eligible residents who file a Maryland tax return. Unlike the federal EITC that is only available to filers with a Social Security number, this credit is also available to county residents filing with an

Montgomery County’s electronic Integrated case management system (eICM) which stores data for over 70 health and human services programs across the county. The system captures data from client interactions, led by county staff, to enhance service delivery by sharing relevant information across programs.

The Maryland Earned Income Tax Credit Assistance Program for Low-Income Families was launched to provide the state’s comptroller with greater authority to target outreach efforts and identify eligible Maryland residents who have not claimed the local, state, or federal EITC. Similarly, in April 2024, new funding was approved for the Comptroller’s office to partner with state agencies to develop an individual income tax credit awareness campaign.

Tax Credits

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NYC Connect

📍 New York City, New York

New York City’s Earned Income Credit provides a credit worth 10%-30% of the federal EITC, with a higher match distributed to the lowest-income households. The is in addition to the state’s Earned Income Credit, which also matches up to 30% of the federal credit to eligible taxpayers.

The Empire State Child Credit is available to families with children under 17. The maximum credit per child is the greater amount of 33% of the federal CTC or $100 multiplied by the number of qualifying children. New York’s credit remains tied to the federal structure dictated by permanent law based off a $1,000 credit.

ACCESS NYC is an online platform that connects residents to local, state, and federal tax and benefit programs for which they are eligible to receive direct cash, food, and housing assistance among others. Residents can also apply for SNAP, cash assistance programs, and Medicaid renewal at the same time through one application.

Department of Human Services

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Southwest PA 2-1-1

📍 Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (includes Pittsburgh)

The Allegheny County Department of Human Services provided near-daily communication to all contracted service providers across the county—over 400 organizations—throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, they sent daily updates to all county residents to increase awareness about changes to benefits programs and eligibility requirements, particularly for the CTC and economic impact payments; however, as these mandates expired, limited staff and resources strained outreach efforts.

PA 2-1-1 Southwest, maintained by the region’s United Way, is a platform that serves as a central hub to identify potential eligibility across tax, health, and human services programs to ensure residents are directed to the appropriate county resources. Users can utilize the online platform or talk directly with operators through the hotline, which improved system efficiency across the county and reduced long wait times that previously deterred individuals from accessing needed benefits.

BakerRipley Local Tax Partnership

📍 Harris County, Texas (includes Houston)

Harris County launched a partnership with local tax assistance organization BakerRipley in 2021 to create a robust outreach campaign and increase awareness of the federal CTC and EITC, among other available tax programs. Dedicated funding from the county government to support this partnership enhanced outreach and improved claiming by (1) hiring additional staff for neighborhood tax centers; 2) building a grassroots education campaign; and 3) launching a mobile tax unit that brought services directly to communities. This helped more than 6,000 Harris County residents claim an estimated $10 million in tax credits between the expanded federal CTC and EITC during the 2022 tax season.

Working Families Tax Credit

📍 Washington Department of Revenue

Washington State’s Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) is available to workers who meet certain eligibility requirements that are generally aligned with the federal EITC. Since Washington is the only state without an income tax that has implemented a state EITC, the state created the Working Families Tax Credit Division dedicated to building out the program, initiating taxpayer outreach, and coordinating the claiming process. In its first year, the program was a success, reaching nearly 163,000 eligible residents and totaling approximately $116 million in refunds.