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Important Notice for Individuals with Disabilities Who Are Applying for or Trying to Keep Public Benefits in Suffolk County

Posted on August 10th, 2022

Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement Regarding Disability Accommodations at the Suffolk County Department of Social Services.

Attorneys from the Empire Justice Center, the National Center for Law and Economic Justice (NCLEJ) and Dentons LLP obtained class certification and a settlement in a Federal Court class action case called Newkirk v. Pierre, 19-cv-4283 (E.D.N.Y.). Plaintiffs in this lawsuit are individuals with disabilities who need help applying for or trying to keep public benefits through programs run by the Suffolk County Department of Social Services (SCDSS).

This is an important notice about accessing Public Benefits and a proposed Settlement in a Federal Court class action case. Please read the entire notice provided in the links below if:

You are an individual with a disability living in Suffolk County, New York; AND
You have applied for or will apply for benefits and services from SCDSS, including SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid, Temporary Assistance, and Temporary Housing Assistance (THA); AND
Because of your disability, you need help applying for or keeping those benefits and services.

Notice

Audio Recording of Notice

Settlement

Members of the Plaintiff Class who are deaf or hard of hearing and require interpreter services to participate in the Fairness Hearing with the Court on September 6, 2022, should contact the National Center for Law and Economic Justice at info@nclej.org, or (212) 633-6967, in advance of the hearing.

Press Release Announcement

Aviso Importante para Personas con Discapacidades que Solicitan o Intentan Mantener Beneficios Públicos en el Condado de Suffolk

Posted on August 10th, 2022

Aviso de propuesta de acuerdo de demanda colectiva sobre Adaptaciones para Personas con Discapacidad en el Departamento de Servicios Sociales del Condado de Suffolk

Los abogados del Empire Justice Center, el National Center for Law and Economic Justice (Centro Nacional para la Ley y la Justicia Económica) y Dentons LLP obtuvieron la certificación colectiva y un acuerdo en un caso de demanda colectiva del Tribunal Federal llamado Newkirk v. Pierre, 19-cv-4283 (E.D.N.Y.). Los demandantes en esta demanda son personas con discapacidades que necesitan ayuda para solicitar o tratar de mantener los beneficios públicos a través de programas administrados por el Departamento de Servicios Sociales del Condado de Suffolk (SCDSS).

Lea el aviso completo proporcionado en el siguiente enlace si:

Usted es una persona con una discapacidad que vive en el condado de Suffolk, Nueva York;
Ha solicitado o solicitará beneficios y servicios de SCDSS, que incluyen SNAP (cupones de alimentos), Medicaid, Asistencia Temporal y Asistencia de Vivienda Temporal (THA); Y
Debido a su discapacidad, necesita ayuda para solicitar o mantener esos beneficios y servicios.

Aviso

Settlement

Los miembros de la Clase de Demandantes que son sordos o tienen problemas de audición y requieren servicios de interpretación para participar en la Audiencia de Equidad con el Tribunal el 6 de Septiembre de 2022, deben comunicarse con el National Center for Law and Economic Justice (Centro Nacional para la Ley y la Justicia Económica) en info@nclej.org , o ( 212) 633-6967, antes de la audiencia.

Press Release Announcement

Disability Law News – July 2022

Posted on July 31st, 2022

The Disability Law News is published four times per year for disability advocates across New York State.

To download the July 2022 issue, click here!

Policy Matters – May 2022

Posted on May 31st, 2022

Welcome to the May edition of our newsletter, Policy Matters. In this edition we take a moment to observe the tragedy in Buffalo, and then we cover new language access mandates for mortgage lenders, the enactment of X gender markers on NYS drivers licenses, legal advocacy for trans youth, comments on proposed rules regarding Alternative Dispute Resolution, upcoming testimony on the future of NYS courts, and an exciting new addition to the Empire Justice team!

Read the full newsletter here: Policy Matters – May 2022

Transgender advocates and representatives of the Governor's office at X Gender Marker event

Disability Law News – April 2022

Posted on May 2nd, 2022

The Disability Law News is published four times per year for disability advocates across New York State.

To download the April 2022 issue, click here!

SNAP Budget Worksheet for New York State 2021

Posted on January 25th, 2021

The new updated SNAP budget worksheet, effective January 1, 2021, from Hunger Solutions New York.

Current Worksheet:

Effective January 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021

Past Worksheets:

Effective October 1, 2018 – September 30, 2019

Effective October 1, 2017 – September 30, 2018

Effective October 1, 2016 – September 30, 2017

Effective October 1, 2015 – September 30, 2016

Effective October 1, 2014 – September 30, 2015

Effective November 1, 2013 – September 30, 2014

Effective October 1, 2011 – September 30, 2012

Effective April 1, 2011 – September 30, 2011

Effective October 1, 2010 – September 30, 2011

Effective October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010

Effective April 1, 2009 – September 1, 2009

Effective February 1, 2009 – September 1, 2009

Child Care Copayment Disparities by County

Posted on January 13th, 2021

Featured below is an updated Child Care Copayment Chart for families of three with an annual income of $43,440 (200% of poverty) showing the copayment multiplier for each social services district in New York. This chart is based of a review of the annual plan updates and the COVID -19 waiver chart posted on the OCFS website as of January 2, 2021. For nine counties that had not posted annual plan updates for 2020, 2019 data was used.

We recommend you view the PDF here.

There are many changes from last year’s chart. Most striking is that only four districts continue with the impossibly high copayment multiplier of 35%, which is the number applied to the family’s income over the poverty level to calculate the parent share. Last year eighteen districts used this multiplier. Many districts have reduced their copayments to 25%, 20%, or even 10%. Last year only three counties chose to use the 10% copayments multiplier, which is the lowest permitted under state regulation. This year there are eight counties with 10% multipliers. Other important news to note is that the social services districts highlighted in red obtained approval from OCFS to waive copayments. The list of counties that are currently waiving copayments is updated monthly on the OCFS website at https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/childcare/plans/ altogether for as permitted by 20 OCFS ADM-06, available at: https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/policies/external/ocfs_2020/ADM/20-OCFS-ADM-06.pdf

Also featured below is a chart which shows the annual copayment required from families of three with incomes between the poverty level and 275% of the poverty level, and the percentage of the family’s gross income that that payment represents.

We recommend you view the PDF here.

Find Your DAP Service Provider!

Maiffn Area

Important Notice for Individuals with Disabilities Who Are Applying for or Trying to Keep Public Benefits in Suffolk County

Posted on August 10th, 2022

Aviso Importante para Personas con Discapacidades que Solicitan o Intentan Mantener Beneficios Públicos en el Condado de Suffolk

Posted on August 10th, 2022

Disability Law News – July 2022

Posted on July 31st, 2022

Policy Matters – May 2022

Posted on May 31st, 2022

Disability Law News – April 2022

Posted on May 2nd, 2022

SNAP Budget Worksheet for New York State 2021

Posted on January 25th, 2021

Child Care Copayment Disparities by County

Posted on January 13th, 2021

Find Your DAP Service Provider!

Posted on January 30th, 2018

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