ALICE

Who Is ALICE?

ALICE represents the 24% of Pennsylvanians who work, but struggle to survive. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.

ALICE earns above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), but makes less than what’s needed to afford basic essentials. They often earn too much to qualify for government assistance, and there is no room in their household budget for emergency expenses. If you combine PA households earning below the ALICE Threshold with those living below the FPL, that’s 37% of PA households that face financial hardship every day, in every county in PA. (2017 data)

The Response of PA United Ways

United Ways throughout Pennsylvania are committed to lifting up ALICE through community programs and advocacy.

• PA 211: Through this program, we connect families to local programs that can help them with their individual needs. We also document unmet needs so communities can plan strategies for the future.
• Advocacy: United Ways speak up for policies that ensure all PA families are able to work toward financial stability.
• Partnerships: Our local-level partnerships and programs are able to address the unique needs of each individual community, understanding the solutions that will work there.
• ALICE Report: In early 2021, United Way of Pennsylvania will present a data refresh to the ALICE Report for Pennsylvania, allowing us to understand more recent circumstances in our state.

Equipped with these tools, the PA network of United Ways convenes, advocates and innovates in our local communities to highlight the issues faced by ALICE households, and we generate solutions to help ALICE on their path to financial stability.