What is a GI program?
GI or Universal Basic Income (UBI) pilot projects provide eligible individuals with regular cash payments for a specific and limited time period. These payments are meant to help recipients reach a standard of living above the poverty line, and the money can be spent in any way that best supports the recipient and/or their family.
Will receiving GI program payments affect my other benefits?
Some GI cash payments may affect eligibility and benefit levels for public assistance programs such as:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Medicaid (Medical Assistance)
- Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP),
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
The way that these programs are affected depends on each program's rules for considering the GI payments. The Department of Human Services (DHS) evaluates each GI pilot project to determine what impact(s) it has on assistance programs.
GI Pilot Program Contacts
The local agencies overseeing each GI project decide the criteria, design, and funding for their particular project. If you have questions and/or need details about a pilot project, contact the agency overseeing the project. Some pilots do not accept direct enrollment from the general public.
Below is a list of active GI pilots known to DHS. This information is current as of October 2023.
Project Name | Point of Contact | Population Served | Start Date/County |
|---|---|---|---|
PHL Housing+ | Main Contact: Program Analyst Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation |
| Philadelphia |
Penn Health is Wealth | Laura Gibson | 100 Medicaid recipients who have either Type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension which poses a direct increase in the development of cardiovascular disease. | Philadelphia |
A Pilot Study of Cash Transfers to Improve Outcomes in Low-Income Preterm Neonates and Their Families | Zoe Bouchelle | 24 low-income mothers with infants born between 22- and 36-weeks gestational age at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. | Philadelphia |
Guaranteed Income for Victims of Violence | Ruth Abaya Pilar Ocampo Injury Prevention Program Manager Philadelphia Department of Public Health | 50 victims of firearm violence in the first six months after injury who are eligible for Medicaid and were a patient of any of the Level One trauma centers in Philadelphia. | Philadelphia |
One Family Philadelphia Guaranteed Income Financial Treatment (GIFTT) | Jennifer Kellett | 250 cancer patients receiving treatment at Philadelphia partner hospitals. | Berks, Bucks, Delaware, Chester, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia |
Guaranteed Resources Optimize Wellbeing (GROW) | Main Contact | 50 extended TANF recipients | Philadelphia |
Allegheny County Transition Age Youth Assistance | Molly Morrill | 1,200 young adults ages 18-22 who met at least oneof the following criteria: 1) Have been in Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) placement in Allegheny County and dependent at age 14 or older; 2) Are receiving Allegheny County Independent Living Services; 3) Are currently involved in the homeless system in Allegheny County; or 4) Are a parent who has an open care with CYF in Allegheny County. | Allegheny |
DHS' Role
DHS collaborates with GI pilot project coordinators before the pilot project starts to inform them of impacts on public assistance benefits. DHS also ensures that GI coordinators know to encourage GI program recipients who are also receive public assistance benefits to report the GI payments to their county assistance office. Agencies can contact DHS OIM to initiate collaboration. DHS also informs CAOs about GI pilot programs serving individuals in their county and the impacts on program eligibility so that they are aware of how to accurately process benefits for people receiving GI payments.