OMHSAS
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
- 09/03: OMHSAS Budget Information
- 09/03: OMHSAS Announcements
- 08/19: Attachment Based Family Therapy (ABFT): Introductory Workshop
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- 05/24: OMHSAS Announcements
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Stop the Cuts to Pennsylvania's Most Vulnerable Citizens!
February 16, 2010
Effective this month, 345,000 disabled, blind, and elderly Pennsylvanians living well below the poverty line — including 67,000 children — face cuts of 19% to 24% in their State Supplemental Payments (SSP) unless the Legislature acts now!
For most, this reduction literally means missed meals, medical co-pays that cannot be met, or Paratransit rides that cannot be taken. For some, it may mean the difference between life and death.
To qualify for the SSP, individuals must receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a federal benefit for the very poor administered by the Social Security Administration.The maximum SSI grant for an individual is $674/month. For a couple, it’s $1011/month. Until the new cut, the SSP grant provided an additional $27.40/month for an individual and $43.70/month for a couple. In combination, this is still well below the poverty level.
The Department of Public Welfare (DPW) intends to reduce the SSP for an individual by $5.30/month (down 19%) and by $10.40/month for a couple (down 24%).
Individuals living on SSI are among the most vulnerable citizens in Pennsylvania. They are either too disabled or too elderly to work. Their total SSI grants only pay 77.7% of the federal poverty line so every dollar counts. And this year, SSI grants did not receive a cost-of-living allowance. A reduction of $5.30 per month will profoundly affect their abilities to eat and have access to critical care and services.
