Meet ALICE
When Working Isn't Enough to Make It Work
Many households in York County struggle to cover basic living expenses. Financial stability is just out of reach even though they work full-time. These households are ALICE- Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.
ALICE represents people of all ages who earn more than the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), but make less than what's needed to afford basic essentials. ALICE often earns too much to qualify for government assistance, but still isn't able to make ends meet. They are one financial emergency away from falling into poverty. They live in the gap between the social safety net of government programs and financial stability.
These working folks are essential to our community. They keep us running. Without them, York County would come grinding to a halt. They are our childcare workers, teaching assistants, and support staff. They work in hospitals and grocery stores. Their overstretched budgets cannot keep pace with the skyrocketing inflation.
Key Terms:
ALICE: Households with an income above the Federal Poverty Level but below the basic cost of living.
ALICE Threshold: The average income needed to afford the Household Survival Budget. Households below the ALICE threshold include both ALICE and poverty. See below for York County data.
Federal Poverty Level (FPL): A measure of income updated by the Department of Health and Human Services each year that's used to determine eligibility for federal and state assistance programs.
Financial Security: A household's ability to be financially independent and secure.
Household Survival Budget: An estimate of the minimal total cost of household essentials. Household essentials include housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and technology, plus taxes and a miscellaneous contingency fund equal to 10% of the budget. It does not include savings, auto repairs, cable service, travel, laundry costs, or amenities such as holiday gifts or dinner at a restaurant.
The survival budget illustrates just how far off the FPL the actual cost of living has moved. The ALICE Household Survival Budget seeks to set a more reasonable minimum for the cost of living. It is still a no-frills budget. For example, below, you can see that in York County, the Survival Budget only includes $714 for housing for a family of four (with 2 children, an infant, and a toddler). With childcare and transportation alone, the cost is 35% of ALICE's budget.
Poverty: Households earning below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
Making Tough Choices
ALICE is not simply a wage issue. It is an accessibility issue. There are barriers to financial stability that ALICE households consistently face. They are complex and interconnected. For example, you can’t take the high-pay manufacturing position in Hanover because you have no car to get there and we don’t have buses that go that far. Or, you work third shift and are not able to find overnight childcare. Or you work at multiple restaurants as a server that don’t offer healthcare but need an inhaler for your asthma.
For solutions to be effective, they must also be interconnected and comprehensive.
For more information, please visit unitedforalice.org
Are you ALICE?
If you are an ALICE family or household, or you know someone who is, United Way of York County has resources that can support you, or you can connect with the PA211 Helpline, which provides confidential health and human services information and a referral hotline.
