Thursday, July 2, 2009
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First public assistance grant increase in 19 years takes effect
ALBANY - Governor David Paterson Wednesday announced that the first increase to the public assistance grant in nearly two decades will took effect July 1, providing more aid to individuals and families struggling in poverty during this unprecedented economic downturn. The public assistance grant will be raised again in each of the next two years, resulting in a cumulative 33 percent increase by July 2011.
As of July 1, the public assistance grant for a family of three will be $321 a month, up from $291 a month. Approximately 200,000 households, including nearly 290,000 children, will benefit from this increase, the first since 1990. As part of the 2009-10 budget, the Governor and the Legislature agreed to increase the grant in each of the next three years, totaling $353 a month in July 2010 and rising to $388 from July 2011 forward. The State will support the counties’ share of the costs of the grant increase for a period of three years.
While increasing the grant helps those on public assistance better provide for their families’ needs in the short term, the state is also committed to assist these individuals and their families in improving their long-term economic prospects. The state has substantially boosted its investment in job training and education programs to help low-income families not only leave public assistance, but to also help them build a foundation of skills and work experience that will enable them to achieve and sustain economic self-sufficiency.