46% of West Virginia households fall below threshold of financial survival, data says
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — A recent study using data from the United Way found that around 2 in 5 West Virginia employees live paycheck to paycheck and still struggle to make ends meet.
A.L.I.C.E. is an acronym for 'Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed' and is a term designated to a household that typically brings in less than the costs of basic needs like housing, childcare and food, but makes enough income that they do not meet the federal poverty level to qualify for assistance.
Research through United Way and Highmark, known as 'United for A.L.I.C.E.,' found that 46% of West Virginia households fell below the A.L.I.C.E. threshold of financial survival—nearly half of our state's population. That number includes the 17% of households that lived in poverty in 2023.
12 News spoke with United Way of Harrison and Doddridge Counties Executive Director Martin Howe on what he believes can be done to assist those categorized under A.L.I.C.E.
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'If they raise the income level, typically the other things go up as well, so it's a delicate situation, but I think, overall, the state is attempting to do as much as they can. I think the people who fall in these categories are true hard workers and want to do good for themselves,' said Howe.
33% of West Virginia workers who fall into A.L.I.C.E. have service industry jobs like personal care aides, janitors, cashiers, and waiters.
United for A.L.I.C.E. data also found that West Virginia ranked 44th in financial hardship among all 50 states, with one of the nation's highest percentages of households struggling to make ends meet.
So, where do we go from here with this information? The answer isn't one-size-fits-all.
Howe gave suggestions for those in need of assistance.
'Reach out to the resources that are out there. A lot of people do not realize what resources are there, but if they call the 211, they have all the resources available for you to assist, whether it be financial or other types of resources, they may need to refer you to different entities that we partner with and some that we don't,' said Howe.
You can read the State of A.L.I.C.E. data through its report.
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