[nfbwatlk] State to reduce cash grants to Disability Lifeline recipients, Washington DSHS press release, October 20 2010
David Andrews
dandrews at visi.com
Mon Oct 25 20:19:35 UTC 2010
Looks like they have also laid off their proof
reader, as I heard at least one typo!
Dave At 11:02 AM 10/25/2010, you wrote:
>Link:
>http://www.dshs.wa.gov/mediareleases/2010/pr10096.shtml
>
>Text:
>News Release Listing
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Contact: Nick Lutes, (360) 902-0570, nick.lutes at ofm.wa.gov
>Contact: Troy Hutson, (360) 725-4350, troy.hudson at dshs.wa.gov
>Contact: Thomas Shapley, (360) 902-8007, thomas.shapley at dshs.wa.gov
>
>October 20, 2010
>State to reduce cash grants to Disability Lifeline recipients
>
> OLYMPIA In order to make budget reductions
>neecessary to balance the state budget for the
>remainder of the current fiscal year, the
>Department of Social and Health Services will
>reduce the monthly cash grant to Disability
>Lifeline recipients effective Jan.1, 2011.
>Washington state's Disability Lifeline Program
>provides cash grants to low-income adults
>without children who are unable to work due to a
>physical or mental impairment that is expected
>to last at least 90 days. A small number of
>disabled and elderly legal immigrants also
>receive help from the Disability Lifeline program.
>
>"This is further evidence of the tough choices
>confronting state government in these difficult
>economic times," DSHS Secretary Susan N. Dreyfus
>said. "It illustrates the struggle to support
>even some of our most vulnerable populations."
>
>The 2010 Supplemental Budget approved in this
>year's legislative session called for the
>Department to save nearly $6.2 million by
>limiting the length of time a person can receive
>Disability Lifeline (formerly General Assistance
>Unemployable) benefits. The Legislature reduced
>the State General Fund appropriation in
>anticipation that benefits would be discontinued
>effective Sept. 1 for those persons who had
>exceeded the new allowable time limits.
>
>On Oct. 4, a federal court issued a temporary
>restraining order to stop the time-limit benefit
>terminations from taking place. The order was
>based on 2010 legislation (HB 2782) that
>provides that Disability Lifeline benefits
>cannot be discontinued based on the time limits
>until a case review is conducted that finds the
>person does not meet the federal supplemental
>security income disability standard. As
>interpreted by the court, this 2010 legislation
>would require the five-step sequential
>evaluation process outlined in the Social
>Security regulations. The budget for this
>program does not include sufficient resources to
>conduct these more intensive reviews.
>
>Without the ability to achieve the savings from
>time-limit terminations, as anticipated in the
>2010 Supplemental Budget, the Department's only
>option was to reduce the amount of the monthly
>cash benefit paid to each recipient in the program.
>
>The Department had already planned to reduce the
>Disability Lifeline monthly cash grant Jan. 1,
>2011, in response to the 6.3 percent
>across-the-board budget reductions Gov. Chris
>Gregoire ordered last month to avoid a deficit
>in the state's general fund budget for the
>fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2011. The
>across-the-board reductions were ordered when
>the state's economic forecast showed revenues falling short of projections.
>
>To meet both the 2010 Supplemental Budget
>expectations and the required 6.3 percent
>across-the-board reductions, the Department will
>reduce the typical monthly cash grant from $339
>per month to $258 per month effective Jan. 1, 2011.
>
>
>
>DSHS does not discriminate and provides equal
>access to its programs and services for all
>persons without regard to race, color, gender,
>religion, creed, marital status, national
>origin, sexual orientation, age, veteranâs
>status or the presence of any physical, sensory or mental disability.
David Andrews: dandrews at visi.com
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