Advocacy Resources     The Welfare Agitator - Volume 9, No. 3 September 2003 DPW Lifts Drug Ban for Some Thanks to the persistent work of advocates, DPW has taken a very big step by administratively lifting the lifetime ban on benefits for folks with drug felony convictions! But the lift is only for people on General Assistance. On August 13, 2003 all local welfare offices received a policy clarification declaring that the lift is EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. Tell everyone you know who has been unable to get cash assistance because of a drug conviction and who is otherwise eligible for GA to re-apply immediately! Although this is a significant 1st step, and Sec. Estelle Richman is to be commended, there is still work to be done. CONTINUE TO URGE YOUR STATE SENATORS TO PASS HB 44 TO LIFT THE LIFETIME BAN ON FOOD STAMPS AND TANF BENEFITS FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN. Worse Welfare Rules Approach Passage in Congress After passing two extensions of current rules (until September 30), Congress recessed for the summer without having reauthorized TANF (welfare cash assistance). In July, just before recess, Senate Finance Committee Chair Charles Grassley (R-IA), introduced a proposal which includes most of the Bush Administration’s priorities and closely mirrors the bill passed by the House earlier this year. One of the most egregious hardships in this bill is an increase in required work hours. At this writing, Grassley is poised to move his bill out of the committee without considering any of the many amendments committee Democrats had planned. Advocates in Washington think that Grassley simply wants to get this bill off his plate, knowing full-well that the Senate calendar is packed and the body won’t have time to consider TANF reauthorization before September 30. Another short-term extension would give people time to talk to their Senators, but a long-term extension of the current rules would be even better. Many people are noticing that Congress is talking about spending billions more to prop up a new government in Iraq, while poor people in this country often don’t have enough to eat. ACTION: Call Sen. Specter at 202-224-4254 and Sen. Santorum at 202-224-6324, tell them that the Finance Committee’s bill is very harsh on low income families who are working towards becoming self-sufficient. We want them to pass long-tem extension. BASIC TIPS: Be sure to read and keep all mail from the Welfare Office. It may be important and you may need to refer to it in the future! Notify your caseworker immediately when you decide to enroll in school or accept a new job. It will reduce a potential delay in your special allowances. Keep copies of everything you give or send to your caseworker DPW Publicizes New Reporting Requirements On May 27, 2003 PA DPW implemented a Semi-Annual Reporting (SAR) system for participants and on July 29th Allegheny County DPW held an Information Session on SAR. Just Harvests’ Welfare Justice Project collaborated with DPW to get the word out about the session and there was a great turnout. If you want the information from that session, contact Rochelle. Special thanks to ACAO for holding the session to inform their partners in the community!!! Food Stamp Income Guidelines (from Oct. 2002 to Sept. 2003) Household Size Maximum Gross Monthly Income Maximum Monthly Food Stamp Benefit 1 $960 $135 2 $1,294 $248 3 $1,628 $356 4 $1,961 $452 5 $2,295 $537 6 $2,629 $644 7 $2,962 $712 8 $3,296 $814 Each additional family member +$334 +$102 Income includes all earned income like wages and salaries, and all unearned income like public benefits. You could have a higher income than the chart shows and still qualify for food stamps. Be sure to ask about all possible deductions. There are income deductions for child care expenses, disabled household members, high utility, rent or mortgage payments and some medical expenses. You will generally need to be re-certified for food stamps every 12 months. Emergency situations If you are in an emergency situation, make sure you tell the welfare office. You may qualify for expedited issuance, which means that you can receive your food stamps within five days. You can qualify if your household: has less than $150 in monthly income and less than $100 available in cash has housing and utility costs for the month that are more than your income includes only migrant or seasonal farm workers with less than $100 cash Join our Policy Advisory Committee Welfare Justice Project Come to a meeting on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. DINNER WILL BE SERVED Just Harvest 16 Terminal Way (near Station Sq., off of Carson St.) Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219 Please RSVP @ (412) 431-8960 / Call by Friday if you will need childcare We are having a meeting to bring together members, friends and those interested in helping us re-define our focus, the direction of our work and to plan for “A Listening Session” with Secretary Estelle Richman on Oct. 3. We are forming a Policy Advisory Committee that would work with WJP to advocate & organize for better and just policies for consumers of welfare, including the reauthorization of TANF. If you want to be a part of this committee and plan to attend this meeting, call Rochelle at Just Harvest. SPOC IS NOT YOUR ONLY CHOICE! After 24 months (two years) on TANF, you are mandated to work or do a work activity for 20 hours or more a week (unless you qualify for an exemption or good cause). You have a few options for meeting this requirement. Although it is a good program, SPOC IS NOT YOUR ONLY CHOICE! You may find your own work activity, but you need to do it in a timely fashion. This is your opportunity to find something that interest you and fits in with your needs and goals. DPW can refer you to other paid or volunteer work programs which meet this requirement. If you can’t find a work activity, your caseworker will schedule you for a program that provides work activities, job training and help with job search. It is important that you and your caseworker AGREE on what program or option best suits your needs and goals. You caseworker should tell you about all of your options. YOU SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO AGREE WITH A PLAN (AMR) THAT WAS DECIDED WITHOUT YOUR INPUT or does not accurately reflect your goals. This is my Story My name is Nancy Pozniak. I am the single parent of two children and I live in a place called HEARTH, which is a two-year Transitional Housing Program that prioritizes education. Education for me is not only my pathway to self-sufficiency, it is a requirement to continue to have housing for me and my family. My time on TANF this recent year has been overwhelming and discouraging at times. A couple of situations that come to mind are ones that involved a particular ETP caseworker by the name of Mr. McNiell. The first meeting I had with Mr. McNiell made me feel degraded. Every question he asked was proceeded with "Don’t cry now". By word of mouth, I know that he has said the same to others. I had to meet with Mr. McNiell again to request special allowances to buy books for my classes. He gave me a blank AMR and pressured me to sign it. I never did receive a copy, nor did I have the privilege of knowing what was eventually written on it. I later found out from Rochelle that I should never sign a blank AMR. My classes were scheduled to begin and I really needed to take care of all of the logistics so that I could purchase my books. I tried very hard to get my caseworker everything that he needed to process my request. I faxed everything to him twice and attempted to contact him several times. When I finally got a hold of him he said he never received the information. I was on my way home from school and he told me that I had ten minutes to fax the info again or he was leaving for the day. He also said that he doesn’t receive his faxes until the day after they are sent. I was totally frustrated, so I contacted Rochelle at Just Harvest. I sent her a copy of the information that I had been trying to get to my caseworker and she faxed it to him a third time. Eventually I made another appointment with him to do a new AMR and brought a case manager from the program that I’m in with me to the appointment. She asked him a simple question and he became very angry and asked her to leave. When she turned to me to ask if I wanted her to leave, he interrupted and stated that he was leaving . He stormed out and his supervisor had to come in and finish the appointment. Overall, my time this last year has not been a pleasant experience and I believe that everything could have been handled in a much more professional and respectable way. Although the above situation was eventually resolved, many problems could have been avoided had my caseworker and I worked together on what was supposed to be my Self-Sufficiency Plan/Goal. Our Statement of Purpose The Welfare Justice Project (WJP) empowers those affected by the Welfare System. It is open to any person interested in economic justice: welfare consumers, advocates and decision-makers to create positive change in the welfare system. WJP: advocates for just public policies with rallies, legislative visits, hearings and actions does one-on-one advocacy for welfare consumers who need that extra voice educates and empowers our members to demand justice and changes in the welfare system at the national, state and local level creates opportunities for grassroots leadership through our organizing campaigns. There is Extra Help for MPP Clients Often consumers who are in MPP (Maximizing Participation Project) have multiple barriers. Sometimes the obstacles to achieving self-sufficiency are unexpected or are accumulated expenses and back debts. DPW has a policy that can help participants who are confronted with this kind of barrier. Under certain circumstances, participants can get help with costs for housing, utilities, funeral costs and some other expenses (appliances, furniture, etc.). The first recourse is for the MPP team to: Determine if the client persistently has expenses that exceeds their income Discuss developing a budget for the participant Refer the participant to a credit counseling service to help make a plan for working with creditors If this is not successful and continues to be a barrier to the participants’ compliance with the original Service Plan requirements, a request can be made for DPW to make a vendor payment to the participants’ creditor to cover the debt or to acquire what has been deemed a necessity for the participants compliance. There is a lifetime maximum amount of $1,000 and request will only be approved after all other existing resources such as special allowances, MA payments or other community resources at no cost to the participant have been utilized. To ensure the best possible outcome, it is important for MPP participants to be open and honest with the MPP team about the barriers they are facing. Discuss your problem with your MPP team or contact Rochelle at Just Harvest. Read Back issues of The Welfare Agitator The Welfare Agitator - Volume 9, No 2 July 2003