|
Translate this Page
|
New Regulations Mean Big Changes for Your Clients on Public Assistance
As we discussed in earlier editions of our newsletter,
there are some changes that are beginning to take effect for individuals
of public assistance. They are as follows:
Shelter Supplements:
Nassau and Suffolk DSS have been approved by the State for a plan they
submitted to provide county rent supplements for families on public assistance
who are in emergency housing as well as those who are threatened with
eviction from permanent housing. Family assistance recipients as well
as Safety Net recipients will be eligible for this “county supplement”.
The amount of the supplement will be double the shelter standard, and
then depending on the family size, the client may use an additional amount
from the non-shelter portion of their grant or other income they may have
such as disability, wages, etc. in order to pay the full rent. (See “New
Plan to Fight Homelessness,” page 5).
Another change involves the way DSS calculates rent payments for two
public assistance households who live together. DSS can no longer pro
rate rent payments when there are two unrelated families living together.
In the past, DSS routinely prorated the shelter allowance in these cases
but now, they must provide the full rent, up to the actual rent, to both
families if there is no legal line of responsibility.
Rent Arrears
The Department of Social Services can now limit the amount of rent arrears
under Emergency Assistance to Families and Emergency Safety Net to one
payment of up to six months within a five-year period. Also, the six month
period cannot be split up and used at different times. Prior to this change,
there was no limit on the amount of rent arrears nor was there a limit
as to how many times DSS could pay rent arrears. This will affect all
new applicants for emergency assistance as of November 1, 2003. If an
individual has received rent arrears prior to this time, he/she will still
be eligible for future rent arrears payments. (Emergency Assistance to
Adults for SSI-eligibles is not limited this way).
Type of Case:
DSS will no longer process “parent only” cases. In the past,
a parent could apply for public assistance without their children. Now
the new rules require that a parent include the children on their public
assistance grant. There are however some exceptions to this rule. Individuals
who can apply for assistance without their children are as follows:
- Parents and children who are SSI recipients
- Stepbrothers, stepsisters and stepparents of your child
- Ineligible sponsored aliens
- Aliens who failed to meet the citizenship and alien requirement
- Individuals who are ineligible due to a previous lump sum payment
- Some children who are getting adoption subsidies.
|
|
