New SNAP time limit starting April 2020 for Philadelphians aged 18-50 who are not working and not exempt
Good news: a court has put a halt to the ABAWDs rule change. The rule will not be going into…
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More SNAP on your EBT Card: What You Need to Know
December SNAP Benefits WIll Be Issued Early. Click Here to Learn More Extra SNAP benefits are now available for December…
What would getting your gas or electric service shut off mean for you and your family?
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) issued a blanket ban on utility shutoffs,…
Problems Using The IRS Web Portal to Get COVID-19 Payments? We Want to Hear from You!
Are you a non-tax filer who receives federal benefits, including SSI, SSDI, RRB or VA benefits? Did you get $500 in…
Security Deposits in Pennsylvania
Residential security deposits in Pennsylvania are regulated by the Landlord-Tenant Act (68 P.S. §250.511 and §250.512). A security deposit is…
SCOTUS Must End Employment Discrimination Against the LGBTQ+ Community
Update, June 15, 2020: Great news from the U.S. Supreme Court! The Supreme Court just ruled that that a federal…
Saving Your Home and Water Service Through TAP
A recent Pew Charitable Trusts article highlighted a growing problem across the country – overdue water bills causing the loss of a…
Roxanne Jones Fellowship Brings Opportunity, Connections
This summer, Community Legal Services (CLS) was thrilled to establish the Senator Roxanne Jones Fellowship to enable future leaders in…
Right to Counsel Passes Philadelphia City Council!
Right to Counsel passed unanimously in Philadelphia City Council on November 14! This bill guarantees low income tenants an attorney…
Report: Philadelphia Should Expand Its Kinship Care Program
We all know instinctively, and it is borne out in the research, that children do better with their families. Removal…
Report: Pennsylvania Clean Slate: Delivering on Its Promises
Pennsylvania’s Clean Slate law, Act 56 of 2018, was passed to bring criminal record sealing to scale by the use…
Report: Mending the Safety Net – Why Pennsylvania Must Restore Its TANF Program to Protect Its Neediest Families
Today we observe the passage of “welfare reform” on August 22, 1996, which “ended welfare as we know it” and…
Report: Legal Remedies and Limitations on the Employment of People with Criminal Records in Pennsylvania
Download the full report Like most Americans, ex-offenders need to be employed to support themselves and their families. Moreover,…
Report: Breaking the Record: Dismantling the Barriers Eviction Records Place on Housing Opportunities
Each of the nearly 20,000 eviction complaints filed in Philadelphia Municipal Court each year carries a lifelong blemish on a…
Information for Philadelphia Renters During the Coronavirus Pandemic
This information was last updated on Thursday, May 7. For information for homeowners, click here. PA Supreme Court: No Evictions…
Reflections on Racial Injustice from CLS’s Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer
Reflections from CLS Deputy Director of Operations and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Brenda Marrero on racial injustice.
