Access To Assistance Campaign
Low-income New Yorkers experiencing the worst effects of the Great Recession have a right to a welfare system that stabilizes lives in economic crisis. Unfortunately, many of those seeking cash assistance at the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) can’t get the help they need. Despite massive increases in poverty, unemployment and enrollment in other benefits programs, enrollment in NYC's welfare program remains at a historic low. A recent estimate noted that only 16% of impoverished women in New York received cash assistance in 2008. This strongly suggests that many income-qualified individuals aren’t getting the support they need from HRA.
Moreover, when HRA’s eligibility decisions are reviewed through the State’s administrative Fair Hearing process, they're found lacking at a frequency of 96%.
HRA is better at locking New Yorkers out than helping them out, and applicant experiences provide insight into this problem. Some applicants are improperly denied their legal right to apply for benefits, aren't provided with proper disabilities screening, are offered inaccurate eligibility information, or are pressured to withdraw an application after submitting it. Onerous application procedures are difficult and time-intensive, and administrative mistakes frequently prevent people from accessing or maintaining assistance.
New: Applicant Stories
Consumer Rights & the Welfare Application Process
The best way to understand the challenges at HRA is to hear from those who have experienced them. you can watch and read about first-hand experiences at HRA here (opens a new page)
Legislation - Send a Memo of Support Now!
We're working hard to address barriers to access through legislative advocacy. Current bills of note include:
- A. 3423 - Sonsored by Assemblymember Keith Wright , this bill changes Social Services law to end durational sanctions for welfare recipients and and strengthens protections from wrongful sanctions. Its passage would result in increased family stability and a more effective welfare system. Send a Memo of Support for this bill now.
- A. 2957 / S. 1326 - Sonsored by Assemblymember Keith Wright and Senator Martin Malaave Dilan, this bill weighs an applicant's treating practitioner’s opinion in the welfare agencies' determination of applicants'/recipients' work limitations or disabilities. Send a Memo of Support for this bill now.
- A.2471 / S.2323 - Sonsored by Assemblymember Keith Wright Senator Velmanette Montgomery, this bill would would increase access to higher Education programs for Public Assistance Recipients. Send a Memo of Support for this bill now.
In support of our ongoing policy advocacy to make assistance more accessible to those facing barriers, the campaign has produced a two-page overview of tips for applicants that outline basic legal rights and key barriers to be conscious of. This document is designed to assist providers and applicants alike, and is available in English and Spanish. It is available for use by any parties who may find it useful.
Our success will depend on your participation. There are a variety of ways you can get involved, so please join us!
Document and share experiences:
- Share the story of your experiences, or those of your clients. Individual experiences help us illustrate for policy makers why we need changes.
Were you (or your clients) discouraged to apply when trying to secure benefits? Were you provided with incorrect information as you attempted to maintain them? Were you denied benefits because you were unable to make it to all of your eligibility appointments? Did a computer glitch or administrative mistake result in a denied application or loss of benefits? We want to know the details of your experience, and how these challenges affected your life. You can contact Greg Richane at FPWA to share the details of your story.
- Service providers: Report instances of improper treatment at HRA like those listed above via our survey.
Get involved in policy change:
- Sign up for campaign updates, to hear about our efforts as they occur.
- Take action online
- Read our Report on changes to the welfare system since 1996 and on access problems.
Since the mid-1990s the welfare caseload in New York State has dropped by 61%, due to sweeping federal, state and local policy changes that make it harder for income eligible households to access assistance. Excessive compliance requirements, long lines, and bureaucratic deficiencies have resulted in high denial rates. These barriers to access have kept the welfare rolls low despite increases in unemployment, poverty and applications for assistance.
One of the most significant barriers for income-qualified applicants is HRA’s onerous application process. Applicants must complete an extraordinary number of eligibility appointments and participate in a “simulated work week.” For a growing number of applicants in crisis, mere completion of the application process is often an insurmountable barrier to accessing benefits. According to state data, denials due to “failure to meet application requirements” have increased from 50% in FY 2007 to 78% in FY 2009 (the rejection rate was even higher in 2008, at 82%).
The denial rate for welfare has increased as enrollment in other programs has grown. Between July ‘05 and July ‘10, enrollment in food stamps increased by 64% and Medicaid enrollment increased by 9%. Over the same period, enrollment in cash assistance programs actually decreased by 17%. Since income eligibility standards for welfare are lower than those for Food Stamps and Medicaid, welfare eligible households are poorer than the general population of Food Stamp and Medicaid recipients. This means that the poorest New Yorkers are encountering many unnecessary barriers when trying to access this critical benefit program.
Recognizing the need for more attention to welfare access issues, the New York City Council General Welfare Committee recently held an oversight hearing addressing these issues. You can view press coverage of the hearing, and read testimony from campaign members and other organizational partners:
- Liz Accles, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
- Mark Dunlea, Hunger Action Network of New York State
- Joel Berg, NYC Coalition Against Hunger
- Kathleen Kelleher, The Legal Aid Society
- Lori McNeil, Homelessness Outreach and Prevention Project, Urban Justice Center
- Brooke Richie, Resilience Advocacy Project
- Lazar Treschan, Community Service Society
- Tanya Wong, Legal Services of NYC