In Charlottesville City and the County of Albemarle the average wage in the welfare to work program

1

• In Charlottesville City and the County of
  Albemarle the average wage in the welfare to work
  program is 8.16/hour. That is 33,945/annually
  for two working parents.

Source Virginia Independence Program, August 2008
2

• But how far does 33,945 go in
• The Charlottesville-Albemarle Community for a
  family of four?

What do you budget?
What do you leave out?
You make the hard choices.
3
Budgeting for Poverty
?
Housing Transportation Food Health Care Child
Care
4
Budgeting for Poverty

• Housing

In our community, a family of four will pay
9,840 annually for basic shelter and utilities
(excluding telephone and cable).
33,945 year

• 9,840
• 24,105

Source The Self-Sufficiency Standard for
Virginia. 2006 Diana Pearce and Wider
Opportunities for Women.
5
Budgeting for Poverty
?
Housing Transportation Food Health Care Child
Care
?
6
Budgeting for Poverty
Transportation
In our community, a family of four with two
adults working full time will spend 5,832
annually to own and maintain two cars in order to
go to work, to the store, to child care, etc.
24,105 year

• 5,832
• 18,273

Source The Self-Sufficiency Standard for
Virginia. 2006 Diana Pearce and Wider
Opportunities for Women.
7
Budgeting for Poverty
?
Housing Transportation Food Health Care Child
Care
?
?
8
Budgeting for Poverty
Food
In our community, a family of four will spend
6,744 annually. They would not qualify for Food
Stamps as they would be 6,384 over the income
limit.
18,273 year

• 6,744
• 11,529

Source The Self-Sufficiency Standard for
Virginia. 2006 Diana Pearce and Wider
Opportunities for Women. Food Stamp allocation
calculation policy. Virginia Department of
Social Services. ACDSS Family and
Childrens Benefits Unit
9
Budgeting for Poverty
?
Housing Transportation Food Health Care Child
Care
?
?
?
10
Budgeting for Poverty
Health Care
In our community, with an employer contributing
part of the cost of health care for the adults in
the household and the children receiving FAMIS
health insurance, a family of four will pay
3,888 for premiums and additional out-of-pocket
expenses such as dental care, prescriptions,
insurance deductibles, etc. The cost of not
having health insurance, however, could be
devastating.
11,529 year

• 3,888
• 7,641

Source The Self-Sufficiency Standard for
Virginia. 2006 Diana Pearce and Wider
Opportunities for Women.
11
Budgeting for Poverty
?
Housing Transportation Food Health Care Child
Care
?
?
?
?
12
Budgeting for Poverty
Child Care
In our community, a family with two children
making 33,945 will pay 19, 298 for child care.
They will be over the income limit for child care
assistance by 1.75. If the family was eligible
for child care assistance, they would pay
7,357.20 per year.
7,641 year
-19,298 - 11,657
Source The Self-Sufficiency Standard for
Virginia. 2006 Diana Pearce and Wider
Opportunities for Women. Virginia Department of
Social Services ACDSS
Child Care Unit Child care assistance based on
commonly used child care placement within
Charlottesville/Albemarle community.
13
So now you are 11,657 over budget, and you still
dont have everything you need.
What do you leave out?
Savings
Retirement Savings
Life Insurance
Household cleaning supplies
School Supplies
Clothes/shoes
Furnishings
Entertainment
Education
Holiday/birthday Gifts
Recreation
14
These are the decisions that people are forced to
make every day when they live in the state of
poverty.