A rapidly growing state-wide coalition of nearly 40 organizations urged the Governor and General Assembly to reinstate cuts in the State Supplemental Payment (SSP) that will result in nearly 350,000 disabled, blind, and elderly poor Pennsylvanians facing reductions of 19% to 24% in their SSP supplement to their Federal SSI benefit. These cuts are a result of last year’s budget agreement, but the specific cuts in the SSP were not made pubic at that time.

As of December 31, 2009, 345,000 very low income elderly severely disabled and blind Pennsylvanians, including 67,000 disabled children, received the SSP. The Department of Public Welfare is reducing the SSP for an individual by $5,30 a month (down 19%) and by $10.40/month for a couple (down 24%).

“Individuals living on SSI are among the most vulnerable citizens in Pennsylvania. They are either too disabled or too elderly to work and are already living well below the poverty line,” noted Linda Anthony of the Disability Rights Coalition. “This year SSI grants did not receive a cost-of-living allowance. A reduction of $5.30 per month is a missed meal, a medical co-pay that cannot by met, or a paratransit that cannot be taken.”

Restoring these cuts would cost $9.4 million this fiscal year and $22.9 million in FY 2010-11. The following organizations feel strongly that the Governor and General Assembly should, through a supplemental appropriation, restore this year’s cut and appropriate funds in the 2010-11 budget to prevent further cuts impacting Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable citizens:

• AARP Pennsylvania
• Action Alliance of Senior Citizens of Greater Philadelphia
• Arch Street Presbyterian Church
• Broad Street Ministry
• Center for the Advocacy Rights and Interests of the Elderly (CARIE)
• Coalition of Low Income Pennsylvanians
• Community Justice Project.
• Community Legal Services
• Consumer Health Coalition
• Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania
• Disabled in Action
• Homeless Advocacy Project
• Jewish Employment Vocational Services Human Services
• Just Harvest
• Liberty Resources
• Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Pennsylvania
• Lutheran Settlement
• Mental Health America—Allegheny County
• Mental Health Association of Pennsylvania
• Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania
• Mon Valley Unemployed Committee
• National Association of Social Workers of Pennsylvania
• National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania
• Neighborhood Interfaith Movement
• Pathways Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans
• Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging
• Pennsylvania Budget & Policy Center
• Pennsylvania Catholic Conference
• Pennsylvania Council of Churches
• Pennsylvania Council of the Blind
• Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition
• Project HOME
• Public Citizens for Children and Youth
• Rodeph-Shalom Synagogue
• United Cerebral Palsy
• United Methodist Witness in Pennsylvania
• Women’s Law Project