San Francisco, Calif. - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced today the expansion of programs designed to help low-income families and individuals in the Bay Area claim public benefits and tax credits.

Each year, more than $65 billion in government money to help people living in poverty goes untouched - $3 billion in California alone and $300 million just in San Francisco. Lacking, until now, was a way to deliver those resources efficiently and effectively.

SingleStop USA, a nonprofit organization, maximizes the reach and effectiveness of existing anti-poverty resources. Working with government, private funders, and community-based organizations, Single Stop USA removes barriers to connect greater numbers of people living in poverty with vast untapped government resources.

Using a software tool, in 15 minutes, counselors outline the benefits for which people are eligible - food stamps, health insurance, child-care subsidies, tax credits, welfare to work, and housing assistance. Trained SingleStop counselors then guide clients through the application processes and provide assistance in filing for tax credits, as well as refer them to additional services such as financial counseling and legal assistance.

"SingleStop's approach is so simple, it's revolutionary. Fight poverty by more effectively using existing government resources to help families struggling to survive." commented Speaker Pelosi.

With the help of SingleStop, 93,000 families, nearly 500,000 people, accessed more than $230 million in benefits and services, including $105 million in federal tax refunds last year. Single Stop works in 74 New York City locations, and has 18 programs across California, New Jersey and New Mexico. This year, Single Stop is poised for further expansion and expects to provide services to more than 100,000 families nationwide.

Elisabeth Mason, CEO of SingleStop USA said, "In just six months at four sites in the Bay Area, we have helped thousands of low-income individuals and families claim $4 million in public benefits and tax credits that would have gone unclaimed. The more sites we have, the more people we can help."

In California, SingleStop partners with Speaker Pelosi, Tipping Point Community, Charles Schwab Foundation, Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, AIG, The Mimi and Peter Haas Fund, Mayor Gavin Newsom, and the City of San Francisco. Single Stop's national and founding partners include the Atlantic Philanthropies and Robin Hood Foundation.