The City of Philadelphia’s Mayor’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) and Clarifi, a leading financial empowerment nonprofit in Philadelphia, announced this week a new service aimed at connecting Philadelphians to the BenePhilly program. BenePhilly connects thousands of Philadelphians to vital public benefits assistance each year and aids in the fight against poverty.
The BenePhilly Helpline at Clarifi is a free telephone hotline that will assist residents in connecting with public benefits access via a network of dedicated nonprofits—dubbed BenePhilly Centers—located across the city.
Philadelphia residents can call the BenePhilly Helpline at Clarifi at 800-994-5537 to conduct intake with dedicated Helpline staff. These Helpline staffers will determine what services and support residents need before transferring them to one of five BenePhilly Centers. This new service streamlines the intake and referral process to ensure clients get the help they need, increasing their awareness of and access to vital resources.
"Philadelphia families deserve easy access to the benefits that help them afford food, housing, and healthcare—but applying for them can be an overwhelming and time-consuming process. No one should have to navigate endless paperwork or long wait times just to secure essentials for their loved ones,” said Jill Roberts, Clarifi’s Vice President of Advocacy. “Through the BenePhilly Helpline at Clarifi, we’re letting people know they have a trusted partner and a clear plan. After a simple intake call, our expert navigators can assess a resident’s needs and connect them to a nonprofit that specializes in benefits access.”
Other providers that make up BenePhilly with funding from CEO include Utility Emergency Services Fund (UESF), Nueva Esperanza, Impact Services Corporation, Catholic Social Services, and Philadelphia FIGHT (for new or returning medical center patients).
The BenePhilly Helpline leverages Clarifi’s technical and customer service expertise, with staff who can connect residents directly to BenePhilly Centers, where they will receive assistance with over 20 public benefits, including SNAP, LIHEAP, Medical Assistance, property tax relief programs, and more.
“CEO is thrilled to announce this new partnership with Clarifi to provide Philadelphians with one phone number they can call to get connected to BenePhilly services. By adding them to our network of non-profit partners, we will make it easier for Philadelphians to get expert help applying for public benefits,” said Orlando Rendon, Executive Director of CEO.
CEO has long contracted with Clarifi to run Financial Empowerment Centers (FECs), which serve over 1,000 Philadelphians each year to help them open consumer friendly bank accounts, reduce debt, increase savings and credit scores. “The synergy between benefits access and financial empowerment will grow stronger by co-locating the BenePhilly Helpline at Clarifi,” said Rendon.
The announcement comes after Benefits Data Trust, a nonprofit that submitted thousands of applications for public benefits under the BenePhilly program, shuttered suddenly last summer. The closure left thousands of Philadelphians without the knowledge of who to call to get help applying for public benefits.
The utilization of public assistance is an ongoing issue: In Philadelphia alone, an estimated $450 million in state and federal benefits went unclaimed in 2020, per The Pew Charitable Trusts. That’s $450 million that could have addressed food insecurity, financial instability, healthcare access, and other life-sustaining needs. Despite potential eligibility among Philadelphians in economically marginalized communities, many don’t seek out public benefits due to a lack of knowledge, barriers in applying, and the stigma associated with public assistance. Clients without technical access are also at risk of being left behind.
The BenePhilly Helpline at Clarifi was built with the intention of making benefits access a more collaborative, resilient program deeply linked to Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. Through the City and expert partners like Clarifi, this service will empower our nonprofit partners see a higher volume of clients for benefits access and connect more Philadelphians with the help and resources they need.
About Clarifi: Clarifi is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides financial and housing counseling, direct assistance, benefits access support, and other wealth preservation services to thousands of Delaware Valley families each year. For more information, visit clarifi.org.
About CEO: The Mayor’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) is the City of Philadelphia’s Community Action Agency, and invests in benefits access, financial empowerment, workforce development, economic mobility programs, community engagement and outreach.