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On
October
1,
Detroit's
poor
become
states'
biggest
losers
in
welfare
cutbacks
DETROIT
(Tell Us
Det) -
Beginning
Saturday,
October
1, 2011
cash
assistance
benefits
will end
for
about
41,000
Michigan
residents
including
an
estimated
29,000
children.
Over 50%
of those
loosing
assistance
live in
Detroit.
Rev.
Jesse
Jackson
who was
in
Detroit
earlier
this
week,
led
about
200
marchers
at the
state's
New
Center
Area
offices
Thursday
in a
protest
against
a new
law that
will end
payments
averaging
$515 a
month to
thousands
of
residents.
Jackson
said,
"Kicking
people
off
welfare
now is
taking
the
poorest
people
out of
subsistence
and will
undermine
schools
and
increase
crime.
We
bailed
out the
banks
that
drove us
into
home
foreclosures
... so
now the
states
are
feeling
the
fallout
from
misappropriations
of
monies,
and
they're
making
the poor
pay the
bills."
DHS
policy
states
exemptions
to the
federal
five-year
limits
will be
limited
to
individuals
who are
disabled.
The
state's
four-year
limit on
cash
assistance
will be
more
strictly
enforced
beginning
Oct. 1,
2011,
while
still
allowing
for
hardship
exceptions
to
include
disability,
recipients
who care
for a
disabled
spouse
and/or
child,
those
who are
65 or
older
and do
not
qualify
for
Social
Security
benefits
or the
benefit
is too
low; or
in
domestic
violence
situations.
Detroit
Police
Chief
Ralph
Godbee
said the
news
that
more
than
21,000
Detroiters
will
lose
their
benefits
comes at
a
particularly
troubling
time.
"It
gives us
cause
for
great
concern,"
he said.
He fears
the
cutoff
could
lead to
increased
crime as
he
announced
Thursday
stepped-up
enforcement
measures
in the
48205
ZIP
code,
recently
identified
by the
Feds as
the
deadliest
area in
the
city.
Gov.
Rick
Snyder
signed
the law
this
month,
capping
benefits
at a
lifetime
limit of
four
years.
The
law’s
advocates
say the
state
can’t
afford
to pay
the
benefits
to
able-bodied
people
who can
work and
have
exceeded
the
deadline.
Those
who have
a
disability
or are
unable
to work
could
receive
an
exemption,
according
to
Snyder’s
office.
Clients
who have
additional
questions
or need
help
with
resources
may call
toll-free
number
855-763-3677,
where
expert
staff is
available
from 8
a.m. to
5 p.m.
Monday
through
Friday.
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