A Benefit Check-up Client Story

A Northland Shepherd Center client is 65 and has sole custody of his 12-year-old daughter. A self-employed painter with an average income of $1500/month in 2019. Due to COVID he has had few jobs and some unemployment income.
He survives on $500/month from SSI for his daughter’s care since her mother is on disability and he has custody of the daughter. A benefit check-up revealed he is eligible for several assistance programs. NSC Community Aging Specialist helped him apply for the weatherization assistance which will make up to $7,000 of home improvements. He also applied for the $65/month Evergy economic credit relief, the low-income heating assistance program which is a one-time credit of $240 toward heating his home with additional benefits if he cannot pay his energy bills and gets behind. He also applied for food stamps, which during COVID benefits have been the full amount for the number of people in the home, that amounts to an average of $260 for two people. He would also be eligible for a free government smart phone by qualifying for food stamps. In addition, NSC staff put him on the commodity list and also told him about the mobile food pantry at NSC on the 4th Thursday of each month. He started on Medicare B in November 2020 so we applied to have the state of Missouri pay the $148/month payment and for extra help with his medications.