PA Gotbaum On Denials of Public Assistance for New Yorkers in Need

Yesterday, the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA) released a report detailing the lack of progress resulting from welfare restructuring over the past decade. The report's findings reveal a significant rise in denials of applications for public assistance, despite an increase in the overall number of applicants and a surge in unemployment.

Today at City Hall, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum - joined by Council Member Eric Gioia and FPWA policy director Bich Ha Pham - called attention to this report, and stressed the need for increased public assistance during an economic crisis.

Gotbaum said: "It's disheartening, and truly unacceptable, that so many of New York's most vulnerable residents are denied the help they clearly and desperately need. A compassionate society -- and a caring government -- sees to it that those entitled to public benefits receive them without struggle or delay and get the training and education they need to become self-sufficient. FPWA’s findings confirm what my office reported in November—that New Yorkers at HRA Job Centers face unnecessary barriers to public benefits. I commend the FPWA for further calling attention to this issue."