Center and Colleagues Stop New York City from Unlawfully Preventing Access to Benefits
We won a comprehensive federal court injunction in 2005 in a groundbreaking class action that derailed New York City’s unlawful policy of discouraging eligible people from applying for cash assistance, Medicaid, and Food Stamps. Following an earlier three-day trial, we convinced the court that it was City policy to systematically deter and discourage people from applying for benefits and that the City had a consistent pattern of failing to provide expedited Food Stamps to the hungry. The court ruled that these policies and practices violated federal and state laws requiring public officials to help eligible persons apply for and obtain help. We are working with New York Legal Assistance Group, The Legal Aid Society and Northern Manhattan Improvement Corp. (Reynolds v. Giuliani)
Additional Information:
- Another Court Victory in Reynolds (from Dec. 2000 Welfare News)
- Court Decision in Reynolds (July 21, 2001)
- New York City Admits Monitoring Insufficient to Establish Proper Processing of Applications for Food Stamps (from Sept. 1999 Welfare News)
- New York City Implements Major Changes in Manner in Which Applications for Food Stamps, Medicaid, and Cash Assistance Are Processed (from April 1999 Welfare News)
- Federal Court Finds New York City Illegally Deters and Denies Food Stamps, Medicaid, and Cash Assistance Applications and Bars Expansion of “Job Centers” (from March 1999 Welfare News)
- USDA Report on New York City Job Centers and Cover Letter (February 1999)
- Welfare Law Center Claims That NYC Job Centers Deter Food Stamps, Medicaid and Cash Assistance Applicants: Court Grants TRO (from Dec. 1998 Welfare News)
