Hunger Free Vermont (HFV) encourages anyone who earned less than $52,000 in 2013 to see if they qualify for the state Earned Income Tax Credit, as doing so might open the door to valuable food benefits.
HFV, an education and advocacy organization aimed at “ending the injustice of hunger and malnutrition for all Vermonters,” says the EITC can amount to as much as $6,044, which can make life easier for working Vermonters struggling to make ends meet.
Faye Conte, the group's 3SquaresVT advocate, says the credit can also position families with dependent children to automatically qualify for food benefits through her program.
“It means their [the family's] income and resources don't count,” Conte explains in a press release.
She adds that the Internal Revenue Service estimates one in five eligible taxpayers could miss out on EITC because they are unaware of this valuable tax credit.
She also says many people will qualify for EITC for the first time this year because their income declined, their marital status changed, or their families grew.
“With the connection to 3SquaresVT, these same families not only save money with the tax credit, but also put more nutritious food on the table,” according to Conte.
She estimates the average monthly 3SquaresVT benefit is more than $200 for a family with children. A bonus, she says: children who get 3SquaresVT benefits also qualify for free school meals, stretching families' food budgets further.
EITC is a financial boost for working people hit hard by economic times while also providing economic stimulus for the state. In 2013, 45,000 Vermonters received EITC bringing more than $83 million in federal funds into the state at an average credit of $1,800 per household.
Hunger Free Vermont is formerly the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger.