More than 500,000 low-income New Yorkers risk having their safety net benefits slashed if they don’t fulfill education or employment requirements, according to municipal sources.
In an email sent Monday afternoon to organizations that serve the homeless and low-income community, the Department of Social Services announced that the so-called welfare-to-work rules for cash assistance recipients will resume on July 28. The department cited state and federal laws to support its decision
Four years ago, in response to the epidemic, the city suspended the rule that recipients of cash assistance must work, attend education, or look for employment.
Low-income households can cover their basic necessities by using the tiny amounts of money provided by the cash assistance program each month. Cash assistance benefits in NYC are $183 per month for a single adult and $389 per month for a family of three, including dependent children. However, in order to keep receiving the benefit, beneficiaries will now need to demonstrate that they are actively looking for work or attending work-related training.
More than 550,000 New Yorkers got the essential cash assistance benefit in May, according to city figures, an increase from over 400,000 in May 2020.
Speaking on behalf of the Department of Social Services, Neha Sharma stated that while the organization is giving financial aid to a “record number of New Yorkers,” it was forced to reinstate the job requirements in order to go with local, state, and federal regulations.
If someone has had their cash assistance stopped because they broke the rules or submitted inaccurate reports, they need to contact the agency to challenge the termination and present proof that they were exempt from the work requirement because of their job, their caregiving duties for family members, their attendance at a doctor’s appointment, or other legitimate reasons. That will initiate a new waiting period prior to the reimbursement of benefits.
