What's happening
This bill increases public assistance grants and income disregards, updates eligibility standards, and repeals an outdated provision in New York's social services law.
Why it matters
By increasing the standard of need and maximum monthly grants for public assistance, the bill directly raises the cash support available to low-income individuals and families, potentially improving their ability to meet basic living costs.
The bill raises the monthly income disregard from $90 to $200 and increases the earned income disregard percentage from 42% to 67%, making it easier for recipients to keep more of their earnings without losing eligibility—this incentivizes work and supports the transition to self-sufficiency.
Repealing outdated provisions and updating eligibility standards makes the law clearer, more streamlined, and better aligned with current economic realities and federal poverty guidelines, which can reduce administrative confusion and improve access for those in need.
These changes may have significant fiscal implications for state and local governments, as more generous benefits and higher income thresholds could increase the number of eligible recipients and the overall cost of public assistance programs.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Update Welfare Grant Amounts
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to social services
- Referred to social services
Full text
4 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4332
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI, AUBRY, PEOPLES-STOKES, PERRY, PRETLOW -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GLICK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to monthly grants and allowances of public assistance; and to repeal certain provisions of such law relating thereto
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraphs (a), (a-1), (a-2), (a-3) and (a-4) of subdivision 2 of section 131-a of the social services law, paragraph (a) as amended and paragraph (a-1) as added by section 1 of part Y of chapter 57 of the laws of 2009, paragraph (a-2) as amended by section 1 of part U of chapter 58 of the laws of 2011, paragraph (a-3) as amended and paragraph (a-4) as added by section 1 of part D of chapter 57 of the laws of 2012, are amended to read as follows:
(a) [Through June thirtieth, two thousand nine, the following schedule shall be the standard of monthly need for determining eligibility for all categories of assistance in and by all social services districts:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$112 $179 $238 $307 $379 $438
For each additional person in the household there shall be added an additional amount of sixty dollars monthly.
(a-1) For the period beginning July first, two thousand nine and ending June thirtieth, two thousand ten, the following schedule shall be the standard of monthly need for determining eligibility for all categories of assistance in and by all social services districts:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$126 $201 $268 $345 $426 $492
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01063-01-9
A. 4332 2
For each additional person in the household there shall be added an additional amount of sixty-seven dollars monthly.
(a-2) For the period beginning July first, two thousand ten and ending June thirtieth, two thousand twelve, the following schedule shall be the standard of monthly need for determining eligibility for all categories of assistance in and by all social services districts:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$141 $225 $300 $386 $477 $551
For each additional person in the household there shall be added an additional amount of seventy-five dollars monthly.
(a-3) For the period beginning July first, two thousand twelve and ending September thirtieth, two thousand twelve, the following schedule shall be the standard of monthly need for determining eligibility for all categories of assistance in and by all social services districts:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$150 $239 $317 $409 $505 $583
For each additional person in the household there shall be added an additional amount of eighty dollars monthly.
(a-4)] For the period beginning October first, two thousand twelve and thereafter, the following shall be the standard of monthly need for determining eligibility for all categories of assistance in and by all social services districts:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$158 $252 $336 $433 $534 $617
For each additional person in the household there shall be added an additional amount of eighty-five dollars monthly.
§ 2. Paragraphs (a), (a-1), (a-2), (a-3) and (a-4) of subdivision 3 of section 131-a of the social services law, paragraph (a) as amended by and subdivision (a-1) as added by section 2 of part Y of chapter 57 of the laws of 2009, paragraph (a-2) as amended by section 3 of part U of chapter 58 of the laws of 2011, and paragraph (a-3) as amended by and paragraph (a-4) as added by section 2 of part D of chapter 57 of the laws of 2012, are amended to read as follows:
(a) [Through June thirtieth, two thousand nine, persons and families determined to be eligible by the application of the standard of need prescribed by the provisions of subdivision two of this section, less any available income or resources which are not required to be disregarded by other provisions of this chapter, shall receive maximum monthly grants and allowances in all social services districts, in accordance with the following schedule, for public assistance:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$112 $179 $238 $307 $379 $438
For each additional eligible needy person in the household there shall be an additional allowance of sixty dollars monthly.
(a-1) For the period beginning July first, two thousand nine and ending June thirtieth, two thousand ten, persons and families determined to be eligible by the application of the standard of need prescribed by the provisions of subdivision two of this section, less any available income or resources which are not required to be disregarded by other provisions of this chapter, shall receive maximum monthly grants and allowances in all social services districts, in accordance with the following schedule, for public assistance:
A. 4332 3
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$126 $201 $268 $345 $426 $492
For each additional person in the household there shall be added an additional amount of sixty-seven dollars monthly.
(a-2) For the period beginning July first, two thousand ten and ending June thirtieth, two thousand twelve, persons and families determined to be eligible by the application of the standard of need prescribed by the provisions of subdivision two of this section, less any available income or resources which are not required to be disregarded by other provisions of this chapter, shall receive maximum monthly grants and allowances in all social services districts, in accordance with the following schedule, for public assistance:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$141 $225 $300 $386 $477 $551
For each additional person in the household there shall be added an additional amount of seventy-five dollars monthly.
(a-3) For the period beginning July first, two thousand twelve and ending September thirtieth, two thousand twelve, persons and families determined to be eligible by the application of the standard of need prescribed by the provisions of subdivision two of this section, less any available income or resources which are not required to be disregarded by other provisions of this chapter, shall receive maximum monthly grants and allowances in all social services districts, in accordance with the following schedule, for public assistance:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$150 $239 $317 $409 $505 $583
For each additional person in the household there shall be added an additional amount of eighty dollars monthly.
(a-4)] For the period beginning October first, two thousand twelve and thereafter, persons and families determined to be eligible by the application of the standard of need prescribed by the provisions of subdivision two of this section, less any available income or resources which are not required to be disregarded by other provisions of this chapter, shall receive maximum monthly grants and allowances in all social services districts, in accordance with the following schedule, for public assistance:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$158 $252 $336 $433 $534 $617
For each additional person in the household there shall be added an additional amount of eighty-five dollars monthly.
§ 3. Subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 8 of section 131-a of the social services law, subparagraph (ii) as amended by section 12 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997 and subparagraph (iii) as amended by chapter 246 of the laws of 2002, are amended to read as follows:
(ii) from the earned income of any child or relative applying for or receiving aid pursuant to such program, or of any other individual living in the same household as such relative and child whose needs are taken into account in making such determination, the first [ninety] two hundred dollars of the total of such earned income for such month;
(iii) [forty-two] sixty-seven percent of the earned income for such month of any applicant or recipient [in a household containing a depend-
A. 4332 4
ent child] which remains after application of all other subparagraphs of this paragraph[; provided, however, that such percentage amount shall be adjusted in June of each year, commencing in nineteen hundred ninetyeight, to reflect changes in the most recently issued poverty guidelines of the United States Bureau of the Census, such that a household of three without special needs, living in a heated apartment in New York city and without unearned income would become ineligible for assistance with gross earnings equal to the poverty level in such guidelines;] provided, however, that no assistance shall be given to any household with gross earned and unearned income, exclusive of income described in subparagraphs (i) and (vi) of this paragraph, in excess of such poverty level;
§ 4. Subdivision 10 of section 131-a of the social services law is REPEALED.
§ 5. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
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