LOS ANGELES COUNTY : Appeal Seeks Restoration of General Relief Payments
Legal aid attorneys have filed an emergency request with the state Court of Appeal to force Los Angeles County officials to restore cuts in general relief welfare payments by next month.
The request follows a ruling last week by a Superior Court judge that the cuts are legal. Anti-poverty groups have already appealed the decision, but Tuesday’s action seeks to force emergency relief while the appeal is pending, attorney Richard Rothschild said.
The county, facing an unprecedented budget shortfall, reduced the monthly welfare payments for more than 100,000 general relief recipients from $293 to $212, effective Sept. 1.
Meanwhile, the Board of Supervisors next week will consider a number of measures to reduce the impact of the cuts, which welfare advocates warn could double the number of homeless people on county streets.
Supervisor Gloria Molina is proposing to eliminate penalties for recipients who share housing, and increase the limits on savings and earnings they can have and still remain eligible.
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