[nfbwatlk] State to reduce cash grants to Disability Lifeline recipients, Washington DSHS press release, October 20 2010

[Nightingale, Noel]

Link:
http://www.dshs.wa.gov/mediareleases/2010/pr10096.shtml

Text:
News Release Listing
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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 necessary 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, veteran’s status or the presence of any physical, sensory or mental disability.