Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Just what we need: more welfare

New York State has not raised its basic payment for people on welfare since 1989, forcing many recipients to skip meals, wear hand-me-downs and spend many days confined to their homes because they lack the $4 needed for a subway trip, according to a lawsuit filed on Monday.

Lawyers representing a group of welfare recipients filed the class-action lawsuit, accusing the state of violating a Depression-era constitutional provision that requires it to provide adequate financial assistance for its neediest residents.

Known as the basic welfare grant, the payment is a benefit of last resort for poor people who do not receive other assistance, like unemployment or disability insurance or workers’ compensation. In New York, it is available to families and single adults, and it is meant to cover the cost of essential expenses like clothing, toiletries and transportation.

Although the state has one of the most generous welfare policies in the country, allowing certain recipients to opt out of work requirements and providing benefits indefinitely, many people are still struggling, the lawsuit says. They cannot afford a telephone or a trip to the library to use a computer, according to the suit, so they have a hard time getting work because employers cannot easily contact them. And because they are ashamed of their predicament, they isolate themselves from relatives and friends, the lawsuit says.


Lawsuit Aims to Increase State’s Basic Welfare Grant

I will never understand why we pay people not to work. Oh, that's right...tweeding.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

There are many legitimate people who are laid off and feel shame of collecting welfare and try to do whatever it takes short of committing a crime to get out of the system. Then there are a good majority I estimate that have made this a lifestyle and have now grown this entitlement, like the book "Who Moved My Cheese?"

I feel for the rare few who are trying and still have dignity, but am appalled the the majority welfare recipients receive better benefits, apartments, and healthcare than people who bust their ass everday working

Anonymous said...

why do the children of illegal immigrants get welfare, section 8, medicaid, food stamps and HEAP? why do older illegal immigrants come here to get social security? stop the gravy train for them and they will not come here.

Americans need real jobs with real benefits. these do not exist anymore.
tell me how anyone can get medical care anymore? if you are an illegal alien simply go to a hospital emergency room and give a fake name. if you are a US citizen you can not do this and will be slapped with a huge medical bill.

what is wrong with this picture?

Americans are being made into second class citizens. Illegal immigrants know every scam there is with every government benefits, the Koreans wrote the book on them.

Maybe you'd like to ask how the Koreans got them selves jobs at the Queens office of the DHCR, in order to screw over tenants?

Anonymous said...

Cut these parasites off and they will leave. I see illegals at Elmhurst Hospital getting free medication, fee formula for babies, etc. I see Senior Citizens in Rite Aid who go to the pharmacy and when they are told their prescription is $200, say can you just give me half of the pills. They go home, split them in half and make-do. There is something terribly wrong with this picture. Can anyone fix this? Does anyone care about US citizens anymore?

Anonymous said...

Does anyone care about US citizens anymore?

You're confusing being "not illegal" with being a "US citizen." There are plenty of legal non-citizen immigrants who pay into the system and receive health benefits. Sounds like what you want is a more robust safety net for the elderly and uninsured citizens and legal residents.

Anonymous said...

Legal non-citizens immigrants?
That's double speak for illegal immigrant, PC double speak, but double speak all the same

legal non-citizen immigrants who pay into the system?
in what universe is that? not in Queens County or any of the five boros of NYC.

Illegal immigrants are getting over, being taken care of while Americans are being made homeless, do not have jobs and do not have enough money for groceries. We pay the taxes to pay for the anchor babies of illegal immigrants. stop the gravy train and you will no longer see Mexican and South American woman pregnant with five children on Roosevelt Avenue.

Queens Crapper said...

He's talking about people with green cards. Sorry, don't think that they should be eligible for welfare benefits, either. It used to be that you only were able to come here if you had a sponsor who promised to take care of you in case of incapacitation or unemployment so you were not a burden on taxpayers. Let's go back to that system.

Anonymous said...

It is amazing how little you people know about immigration law and public benefits law. Even more amazing is the fact that many of you are psychic and can tell a person's immigration status just from looking at them. I wish I had that kind of ability.

Mot immigrants who do enter the country legally must be here for five years before they can become US citizens.

PS I hope none of you ever have to be faced with needing public assistance. It is one of the most humiliating experiences anyone can face.

Anonymous said...

legal non-citizen immigrants who pay into the system? in what universe is that? not in Queens County or any of the five boros of NYC.

Now maybe you will understand how wrong you are. Green card holders are LEGAL, but not CITIZENS. Yet. And they pay taxes and social security just like the rest of us. Just listen to the crapper:

He's talking about people with green cards.

Thank you.

Sorry, don't think that they should be eligible for welfare benefits, either. It used to be that you only were able to come here if you had a sponsor who promised to take care of you in case of incapacitation or unemployment...

Still true. Up to 40 quarters of full employment, or some such thing (by which point the green card holder would have become eligible for citizenship).

Anonymous said...

"It is one of the most humiliating experiences anyone can face."

As it should be.

Sorry, immigrants are applying for and getting benefits before they are here long enough to be citizens. Let's remember the city is not allowed to ask their status...

Anonymous said...

Again ignorance prevails. The city can and does ask for and check immigration status when you apply for any type of public benefits. Immigration status is an eligibility requirement for all public benefits programs. The city cannot ask immigration status when you report that you are a victim of a crime, or if you file a rent overcharge complaint with DHCR, or any other context when immigration status is not a condition precedent to receiving help.

Queens Crapper said...

"Many immigrants also worry that a benefits administrator will report them to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This is not true. By law, city agencies are not allowed to ask you about your immigration status or disclose your immigration status to anyone." - Office of the Public Advocate

Anonymous said...

Person above Crappy: You really are clueless about what's going on out there.

Jeff with one 'f' said...

The guy can't work because he injured his thumb?!?

Anonymous said...

Let's get real brothers and sisters! What is the difference between legal and illegal immigrants? Usually, there is a stereotype that only people who crosses borders illegally are illegal immigrants! However, the reality is you can be the legal visitors or students and becomes illegal or "out of status" because of not being able to comply with their visa designation. If you don't want to give any rights to children of illegal immigrants who were born here, would not that be like promoting slavery like in US history, when people were made to work for 50 cents all day in cotton fields in Mississippi? Why usually the people attacked in gas stations or small business or at the streets by pocket full of ignorant people are immigrant? Do they think they can get away with this? Does the US law say that you can treat people differently with your race, colour and origin? Let's not go back to history when American born Japanese were treated differently for no reason!
Let's get real! You get respect only when you give respect! With todays economy Queens Crap, be happy with whatever you get just like TI says. If illegal immigrants were not paying any fees to become legal, you won't even be getting that brother!
BTW ananymous- it is not easy for illegal immigrant to get the medical benefits! Only way to get the treatment is either go to the emergency waiting for treatment as long as 2 days if you are in elmhurst hospital(since u are in Queens) or pay cash in front selling whatever you got for surgery.