Survey Finds… 81% of Americans Believe the Government is NOT Doing A Good Job Of Telling About Available Money Programs

 Rockville, MD (July 4, 2005) – Two-thirds of Americans indicated in a recent national survey that they believe the government has financial programs they would be eligible for but don’t know enough about them to apply – primarily because the government is not doing a sufficient enough job of letting Americans know. The survey was conducted by the University of Connecticut, Center for Survey Research and Analysis.
These recent survey results reveal that many Americans think the government is doing a poor job of letting people know about government financial assistance programs. Of the 1,000 people surveyed, nearly half (48%) earning more than $75,000 annually, believe they are eligible for money they don’t know about. A significant majority of both Democrats (73%) and Republications (60%) believe there is money available they are unaware of. And more people under the age of 44 (72%) than over the age of 60 (56%) believe there is unknown money due to them.
“During these tight economic times when families are watching each and every penny they earn and spend, it is crucial for Americans to know what monies are available to them,” says Matthew Lesko, New York Times Best Selling author and consumer advocate who works to educate Americans about free government money. “It is imperative for all Americans to know what they have access to.” Do You Think You Are Eligible For Gov’t Financial Programs But Don’t Know How To Get Them?*
.........................Yes ........................................... 65%
.........................No ............................................ 27%
.........................Don’t Know .............................7%

* U of Connecticut Survey


Recent studies by the government itself and other research organizations show that over 50 million consumers don’t know to take advantage of programs that they are legally entitled to including:
4 million senior citizens can receive up to $1,000 from Medicare but they don’t apply because they are unaware of the program (http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04363.pdf)
6 million families are missing out on free health insurance for their kids (http://www.kff.org/medicaid/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=28333)
10 million families can get up to $4,000 a year for groceries but don’t apply (http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04346.pdf)
8 million college students can receive grants and low interest loans but don’t apply (http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Press_Releases_2004&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=3245)
Single moms can receive some of the $673 million in collected unclaimed child support payments (http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d04377high.pdf)
29 million senior citizens don’t know they can get colonoscopies, bone mass measurement, prostate cancer and glaucoma tests paid for by Medicare (http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03958.pdf)

According to the United States Government budget data for 2005*, the government gives out over $1.5 Trillion a year in money programs to individual taxpayers, and only 12% of this money goes to the poor**. This is an average of over $11,000 for every U.S. taxpayer. And this figure continues to grow every year no matter who is in the White House.
To learn more about this survey or how to access resources for government money, please call Matthew Lesko 301-929-8400 or visit www.lesko.com/survey.

About the Author

Lesko is a best-selling author, appears regularly on network television shows and travels the country appearing on virtually every newscast in the top 100 markets. His stage antics, as well as his sound consumer advice has made him a favorite guest on Larry King Live, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Jay Leno, Letterman and The Today Show.

 Matthew Lesko

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