Financial Support for Families of Wrongful Death Victims in California
Waking up without having your loved one in your life is hard enough emotionally. But if the family member you lost was someone who made financial contributions to your household, you might have to face the harsh economic reality of unpaid bills and mounting expenses. You might have legal remedies available that can help make ends meet, but it might take time for your case to work through the litigation process.
So what can you do in the meantime? Thankfully, there are a few resources available for those who could benefit from financial assistance. The following article will identify various sources of this financial support, many of which are primarily available to those located in California. These benefits can range from raising cash to getting financial assistance for essential living expenses, such as food, housing, and utilities.
Crowdsourcing
The best form of financial help comes in the form of cash. If you’re reading this, you’ve likely already asked close friends and family members for monetary aid (or at least considered it). If you’re still in need of help, you can look into crowdfunding, with the most prominent online platforms listed below.
- GoFundMe: When it comes to raising money for personal reasons, GoFundMe is probably the most well-known online crowdfunding tool. There’s no fee to start a fundraising campaign, but GoFundMe deducts 2.9% + $0.30 from each donation for transaction costs.
- Give A Hand: Give A Hand doesn’t charge a fee to start a fundraising campaign, but they charge a transaction fee of 2.9% + $0.30 for transaction costs.
- Go Get Funding: It’s free to join Go Get Funding and start a campaign, but Go Get Funding will deduct a 4% fee from all donations.
- SignUpGenius Donations: SignUpGenius Donations only charges a fee for transaction costs, which is 2.9% + $0.30.
- *spotfund: There’s no fee for fundraising on *spotfund, but 2.9% + $0.30 from each donation will be deducted to cover transaction costs.
- FundRazr: FundRazr’s fees are similar to other online crowdsourcing platforms in that users can choose to pay an optional tip to FundRazr that’s separate from the donation. The donor will pay this tip, and the 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee will be deducted from the donation. However, campaigns can be set up where there are no tips, but a platform fee is deducted from the funds raised.
It should be noted that the IRS doesn’t typically consider funds received from crowdsourcing platforms to be taxable income. This is true as long as the donors are making their cash donations because they’re feeling generous and aren’t expecting anything in return. One exception to this rule is if an employer makes a donation to a crowdsourcing campaign for the benefit of their employee. In this scenario, the employer’s donation will likely be considered taxable by the IRS.
State-Based Aid Programs
California is among the more generous of states when it comes to financial aid and assistance programs available to its inhabitants. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is the primary agency tasked with administering and overseeing these programs, which include:
- CalWORKS: This program offers cash to families in need to pay for basic living expenses.
- CalFresh: This is also known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and provides electronic benefits to low-income recipients so they can buy food.
- In-Home Supportive Services: Offers in-home assistance to eligible individuals based on age or disability so they can avoid having to go to a nursing home or assisted-living facility.
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Eligible low-income households may receive financial assistance to meet their home’s heating or cooling needs.
Social Media
Some social media platforms have sections that allow users to request financial help. For example, Reddit contains numerous subreddits where Reddit users can ask for financial advice, as well as request financial support. This support can come in the form of cash donations or fulfillment of Amazon Wish Lists. Some of the more prominent subreddits include: r/donationrequest, r/Assistance, and r/donate.
Local Support
Depending on where you live, there should be a few places to ask for help. Some may offer cash, but what’s more common is direct assistance for a specific need. For instance, if you need help feeding your family, your local church or food pantry may be able to provide you with some food items. Cash and other forms of assistance may also be possible, depending on what local charitable organizations you have in your area.
Specific Support Resources
Where to find financial assistance often depends on the type of help you need. If you’re having trouble making your mortgage payments, contact your lender or loan servicer to explain your situation, as there might be foreclosure prevention programs available to you. If you need help paying your utilities, some utility companies offer temporary discounts or payment plan options for those who qualify. Some utility companies even partner with local charities to provide financial assistance to eligible households. For health insurance coverage needs, you and/or hour household may qualify for Medi-Cal, which is California’s Medicaid program. If you don’t qualify, you can apply for coverage through Covered California, which is California’s online marketplace for health insurance under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Finally, there may be federal death benefits that you or someone in your household is eligible for. To see what’s available, you can use USA.gov’s Benefit Finder: Death of a Loved One search tool.