Single Stop provides a comprehensive suite of services under one roof, including benefits counseling, free tax preparation, legal assistance and financial counseling, in order to address problems holistically. Counselors use Single Stop's cutting edge technology tool the Benefits Enrollment Network (BEN) to determine which benefits a client is eligible for in as little as 15 minutes, and then guide them through the application process and connect them to other onsite services. In the case that any of these services are already in place, Single Stop builds on existing infrastructure and works with community colleges, community based organizations and other local partners to increase effectiveness and efficiency and to facilitate collaboration.

Single Stop gives people a firmer grip on the economic ladder in just 15 minutes. Single Stop's sites are located in the neighborhoods where the low-income families live, in the schools where they study, and in the community-based organizations they trust. Using a computerized benefits calculator akin to Turbo Tax, counselors help determine a family's eligibility for a wide spectrum of benefits and tax credits. The software program, more accurate and comprehensive than even the most veteran caseworker, takes just 15 minutes to run. Clients learn not only the services they qualify for, but also how claiming one benefit may adversely affect another. Experienced counselors then use this information to provide individualized counseling to clients, guiding them through the process of applying for benefits, tax credits and other services. Those programs include health insurance, nutrition, federal and state subsidies for childcare, housing assistance, welfare-to-work initiatives and tax credits. Expert legal counseling and financial planning advice are also available at Single Stop sites. As Single Stop expands nationally, it will pilot initiatives to offer a streamlined package of its services through partnerships with government entities, large employers and commercial chains. These alliances will allow Single Stop USA to reach millions of additional families in the places they work, study, and do business.

The resources accessed through Single Stop allow families to hold their heads above water and eventually swim to shore. Research clearly shows this help improves the financial, educational, vocational and health prospects of low-income households. By assisting millions of families to claim the benefits and services that will help to stabilize their lives, Single Stop aims to lower the national poverty rate.

Some real world examples of the impact of government benefits and tax credits on poor families:

• Child care subsidies raise the probability of parental employment.
• Food stamps combat childhood hunger and increase the purchasing power of a family by 40% a year.
• Children enrolled in health insurance programs are 80% less likely to have unmet medical needs and 25% more likely to have seen a physician in the past year than uninsured children.
• Access to health insurance has been shown to double a family's ability to save.
• A $1,000 increase in family tax credits results in increased test scores for children: 2% higher in math and 3.5% higher in reading