Each year, CDR closely reviews and responds to the Executive’s proposed budget. CDR’s response focuses on the proposed budget’s impact on people with disabilities and, more specifically, how the budget affects the ability of people with disabilities to live independently in the community.

Of the significant cuts in this year’s budget, the cut to the state supplement of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) has most enraged advocates.

People living on SSI are already well below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). For individuals living alone in the community, the total benefit would fall from the current 83.5% to 80.4% of the FPL in June 2009 if the Governor’s cut is implemented. This is the largest one year decline since 1981.

Advocates and individuals are particularly upset by this cut because the Governor refuses to increase taxes on individuals with large incomes, “the millionaires tax”. The proposed SSI cut and refusal to implement an upper income tax is fragrantly in conflict with the Governor’s rhetoric regarding shared burdens.

Furthermore, the proposed SSI cut favors institutions over individuals. The Governor’s proposal does not reduce SSI for individuals living in facilities. However, these individuals never see their SSI checks as the facility uses the vast majority of the check, leaving only a small allowance for personal spending. This proposal is contradictory to the Governor’s rhetoric of supposing community living over institutions.

The Governor’s proposals have also failed to live up to his rhetoric in long term care. The Governor and his administration have purported to support community-based services over institutional services. However, in his deep, across the board cuts to home care, the Governor is doing great harm to many of the vital services that make community living possible. Additionally, there are proposals, including $225 million for nursing facilities, which directly reinforce the institutional bias of long term care.

Throughout legislative visits on Monday, advocates continued to push for reforms that would realize long term structural savings by reducing NY’s investments in outmoded institutions and shifting supports to community-based initiatives, particularly consumer directed programs. Such programs save money while improving services.

The full budget analysis by the Center for Disability Rights is attached and is available online at our website in Microsoft Word format (Click Here) or Adobe Acrobat PDF format (Click Here)