Our Executive Director, Anita Santos-Singh, was recognized at the Legal Services Corporation Executive Director Conference for her 26 years of service as the Executive Director of PLA! Congrats to Anita and thank you Legal Services Corporation!WASHINGTON, D.C. – Legal Services Corporation (LSC) held an Executive Director Conference in Washington, D.C. Sept. 12-15, 2022. Pennsylvania Project Directors whose programs receive federal funding from LSC are pictured (from left): Anita Santos-Singh, Philadelphia Legal Assistance; Kris Bergstrom, Neighborhood Legal Services; Shawn Boehringer, Legal Aid of Southeastern PA; Lori Molloy, North Penn Legal Services (NPLS); Brian Gorman, Southwestern PA Legal Aid; Jackie Lager, Northwestern Legal Services; and Rhodia Thomas, MidPenn Legal Services.#LegalAidSouthwestern PA Legal Services- Low Income Tax Clinic … See MoreSee Less
PLA is partnering with Frazier Family Coalition for Stroke Education and Prevention to share civil legal aid information to reduce stress and foster health equity. Each month, an attorney or paralegal from PLA will present on a different topic, including housing, family law, unemployment compensation, and taxpayer support. Sessions will be held on the last Tuesday of the month from 2-3pm in person. Virtual attendance via Zoom will also be available.Join us for our Family Law Workshop next Tuesday, September 27th in person at 1300 W. Lehigh Ave in Philadelphia or Via Zoom. Visit bit.ly/PLAfrazier to register!#philadelphia#LegalAssistance#LegalAid… See MoreSee Less
Our Attorney Angela Ruan was out at the Asian Americans United Mid-Autumn Festival this past weekend providing information about how PLA can help our community members in need of civil legal aid assistance! … See MoreSee Less
It’s Tax Tip Tuesday! If you requested an extension to file your 2021 tax returns, you must file by October 17th. If you owe taxes and don’t get the return filed by October 17th, you’ll owe the IRS a Failure-To-File penalty for filing late. This also applies to your Pennsylvania state tax return.There are several free options for getting your 2021 taxes done. You can do your own taxes for free using the IRS FreeFile site www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free. You can also get free help from the Campaign for Working Families at cwfphilly.org. You can find free virtual assistance through GetYourRefund.org.Don’t delay! Late filing penalties add up quickly and can cost you more than late payment penalties.If you requested an extension to file, and you get your returns filed by October 17th, and the IRS or State still charges you a Failure-to-File penalty, contact us to see if we can help you dispute that penalty. Remember, extension requests had to be submitted to the IRS by April 18th.If you also need to file your 2019 and 2020 returns, you should get those ones filed by September 30th to qualify for the IRS’s automatic waiver of the Failure-to-File penalty for those two years! #TaxTipTuesday #Philadelphia #LegalAssistance#LegalAid… See MoreSee Less
September is Recovery Month and PLA is proud to serve clients in recovery, like Victor. Victor is a patient at Girard Medical Center (GMC), where he was connected with PLA’s Medical-Legal Community Partnership (MLCP). The MLCP helped Victor obtain medical insurance after discovering that he was eligible for Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities (MAWD), obtain Food Stamps, reach a positive custody agreement, and renew his MAWD benefits year after year. Ensuring these benefits has been critical to ensuring that Victor, a resilient person in recovery from substance abuse disorder, can continue participating in GMC’s Medication Assisted Treatment program. Victor is not only a champion for people in recovery, but is also a champion for the role of legal services in improving individual and community health.Photo by Maya Wilson. … See MoreSee Less
