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Legal Aid in the news
Legal Aid of Nebraska wants every Nebraska to know about our free legal services. Check out the links below to various news sources that have featured Legal Aid staff or reported on Legal Aid's activities, programs/projects, events, services, and just about any other...
Is your family eligible for the child tax credit payments?
The federal child tax credit has the potential to lift millions of families out of poverty. Families are using the benefits for a number of expenses to support their children. Discover the following Q+A to help clarify questions about this crucial credit. Q. What is...
Have you been overpaid unemployment benefits? How to complete the Department of Labor Unemployment Overpayment Waiver
Have you been overpaid unemployment benefits? If you received unemployment benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), Mixed Earners Unemployment...
Name Change Clinic removes equality barriers for Nebraska’s transgender community
You may not think twice about pulling out your driver's license to verify identification — but for members of Nebraska’s transgender community seeking name changes, this action can cause anxiety, dysphoria and trauma. Legal Aid of Nebraska recognized the importance...
ElderAccessline® helps seniors being unfairly targeted by debt collectors
When retired healthcare worker “Barbara,” 72, of Elkhorn, Neb., received a letter from a creditor seeking payment for a mysterious bill, she called Legal Aid’s hotline for seniors, the ElderAccessLine®. Paralegals and attorneys help seniors understand their financial...
What to do if you’re missing a stimulus check
Most Nebraskans have already received (and spent!) their stimulus checks, but not everyone who is eligible has received the money they are owed from the government. For those people, this year may be even more difficult than it has been for most of us. The good news...
Nebraska’s struggling veterans receive hope from HELP, a medical-legal partnership
“Jackie,” a U.S. veteran, visited a new friend’s apartment thinking his roommate would also be there. But, when she entered the apartment, no roommate was to be found. It happened in a matter of minutes. She was locked inside his bedroom and threatened with a gun....
High gas and electric bills from record cold weather don’t need to lead to shut-offs
The record cold weather in mid-February of 2021 has resulted in ballooning utility bills for low-income households. Showing up in people's mailboxes and online, these electric and gas bills are (and will be) big — for families with no wiggle room in their budgets to...
The largest tax credit you’ve (probably) never heard of
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC, sometimes called EIC) is the largest tax credit many Nebraskans earn, yet only about 80% of eligible taxpayers receive the credit. Legal Aid of Nebraska is working hard to ensure that all eligible Nebraskans receive the tax credit they...
When families fall apart: Helping Nebraska’s low-income families reach their potential
Police raid a Nebraska home with a meth lab in the basement. The parents are soon on their way to jail and the children placed into protective custody. This crime scene is also where 8-year-old "Natalie" and her three siblings live, play and grow. Natalie's home is...
Texas migrant farmworkers settle disputed employment lawsuit about summer work in Nebraska cornfields
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 6, 2021 Contacts: Robert Elder, TRLA Communications Director | [email protected], (512) 374-2764Ann C. Mangiameli, Managing Attorney, Legal Aid of Nebraska | [email protected], (402) 547-0090LINCOLN, Neb. -- Following a...
Stretch it out: 3 ways to maximize the benefits from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for your family
Low-income Nebraska families can seize this historic opportunity to meet needs, pay bills, and build for the futureThere is great potential to maximize the available grants and tax benefits for your familyThousands could be lifted out of poverty The American Rescue...
UPLIFT project brings vital legal help to low-income clients, especially immigrants and refugees
UPLIFT takes vital Legal Aid help directly into low-income Lincoln neighborhoodsThe project partners with community-based centers, especially those who help immigrants and refugeesNebraska’s most vulnerable receive assistance and see an improvement in their lives and...
Expert advice on how the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 affects your health insurance
Learn if you qualify to receive up to 100% of the cost of health insurance paid for you and your familyDiscover important changes to COBRAGet tips on how to enroll for coverage in the healthcare marketplace Between the public health crisis created by COVID-19, the...
Unemployment, Income Taxes and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Explained
Discover info to help those who filed for unemployment in 2020The first $10,200 of unemployment benefits paid to each taxpayer will not be taxed thanks to the ARPAThe additional $300 weekly payment will continue for unemployment benefits Like most other types of...
How to understand the new 2021 Child Tax Credit
The Child Tax Credit is increased to $3,000 per qualifying child for tax year 2021 only Learn how your payments will be distributed Make sure you are set up to receive advance monthly payments sent directly to your bank account Since many working parents are facing...
What you need to know about the new stimulus plan
Learn how to receive your paymentDiscover how to protect your stimulus payment from garnishmentFind out how to troubleshoot issues receiving your payment Last week, President Biden signed the American Recovery Act into law. The bill is over 250 pages long, and...
Champion of Nebraska children and families retires
Sidwell: The great communicator Countless Lincoln families and children lost an amazing advocate when Legal Aid of Nebraska’s attorney Scott Sidwell, 70, retired after 20 years of representing juvenile cases in court. A graduate of Kearney State College (now known as...
