City adds disabled residents, home healthcare providers to list of groups eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations

Detroit residents with documented intellectual or developmental disabilities and Detroiters who are home healthcare providers are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations at the TCF Center. The expanded eligibility list was announced by Mayor Mike Duggan February 11.

Among the conditions covered by the Mayor’s directive are: cerebral palsy, autism, Down’s Syndrome, muscular dystrophy, Tourette’s Syndrome, ADHD, Spinal Bifida and hearing and vision impairment.

Disabled residents wishing to make an appointment should call (313) 230-0505.  Wheelchair accessible transportation can be arranged after the vaccination appointment is scheduled by calling (313) 208-7364.

When they arrive for their appointment, patients will be asked to show evidence of their condition, such as a health provider note, insurance record, prescription bottle or any other document that verifies their condition.

Home healthcare providers eligible for vaccinations

The Mayor also added home healthcare providers living in Detroit to the eligibility list. Part-time care providers and those working at congregate settings have been eligible since January.  It is required that home healthcare providers make their appointments at the same time as their patient and that they arrive at TCF Center in the same vehicle.

The full list of eligible individuals now includes:

• NEW: Detroit residents with documented intellectual or developmental disabilities
• NEW: Detroit residents who are home healthcare providers
• Any Detroit resident age 65 or older
• K-12 teachers and support staff and day care workers
• U.S. Post Office employees who live or work in Detroit
• Employees of the City of Detroit or City-related agencies who are working from their regular job site (Employees working from home are not eligible at this time)
• State and federal law enforcement living or working in Detroit at a work site
• Clergy members interacting face-to-face with members of their congregation
• Funeral home/mortuary employees living or working in Detroit
• Healthcare workers with the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials working in Detroit
• Food service workers, including grocery store, restaurant, meat packing and food and beverage handling employees, living or working in Detroit
• Security guards living or working in Detroit
• Janitors living or working in Detroit

Scheduling Appointments

Eligible residents can call (313) 230-0505 between 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Monday – Friday to make an appointment. Vaccinations will be administered by appointment only.

Senior Saturdays

Starting February 13, the Detroit Health Department will partner with two of the city’s largest churches to hold weekly vaccination fairs exclusively for Detroit residents ages 65 and older. Fellowship Chapel will hold its first fair from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., and Second Ebenezer Church will hold its event from 1 – 5 p.m.

The events at both churches will repeat each Saturday on February 20 & 27 and March 6. Up to 500 vaccinations will be scheduled at each location, each Saturday.

Eligible residents should call (313) 230-0505 to schedule an appointment.

Mayor introduces Christopher Samp as Detroit’s new director of disability affairs

Mayor Mike Duggan introduced Christopher Samp as the new Director of Disability Affairs. Samp, who is deaf, will lead the City’s efforts to ensure that Detroit’s disabled community is considered across the spectrum of City services to recommend, develop and implement new policies and practices to support it.

The Office of Disability Affairs (ODA), a division of the Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity Department, will work with community partners to share information about COVID-19 vaccinations. In addition, ODA will focus on language access, physical access at government buildings, housing and employment issues and pedestrian safety.

Applying for Earned Income Tax Credit even more important this year due to impact of COVID

The City of Detroit and its partners are ready to help residents navigate COVID-19 related changes to claim their maximum refund through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The changes were outlined at Mayor Mike Duggan’s news briefing February 2. EITC partners include Accounting Aid Society, United Way for Southeastern Michigan, Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency and Detroit at Work.

To allow more individuals to still claim their EITC this year, taxpayers who may have been out of work for much of 2020, for example, will be allowed to file tax returns based on their 2019 or 2020 earned income instead to remain eligible for the EITC.

Who is Eligible to Claim the EITC?

The EITC is available to working families and individuals who meet certain income requirements. The amount of the refund depends on income, filing status and number of qualifying children claimed on their returns.

Key Changes for This Year

EITC and Lookback
This year, individuals who have been out of work in 2020 can still benefit from the EITC by choosing to calculate their EITC based on their 2019 income. This tax season, filers can choose to use either their 2019 or 2020 earned income to calculate the Earned Income Tax Credit on their 2020 income tax returns.

Recovery Rebate
Eligible individuals who did not receive their stimulus check or received less than they were eligible for – either the first or the second payment – may be able to claim it when they file their 2020 taxes in 2021 under the Recovery Rebate Credit.

Unemployment Benefits
Unemployment benefits (including pandemic unemployment insurance) are considered taxable income, but do not count as earned income. For individuals that did not withhold taxes from their unemployment payments, it could lower their tax refund or certain clients may owe taxes.
 

In addition, individuals with income up to $57,000 qualify for free tax preparation assistance through Virtual VITA or Drop and Go. Eligible Detroit residents also can use free online tax software and prepare their returns themselves through United Way’s MyFreeTaxes program or Turbo Tax Free File.

To learn more about EITC, new guidelines for this tax season and to schedule an appointment, residents can go to www.claimyourrefund.com or call 211.