Photo via ProjectHome.org
House Bill 33, introduced by Rep. George Dunbar (R-Westmoreland), seeks to eliminate Pennsylvania’s General Assistance program.
General Assistance is a critical and cost-effective program for Pennsylvanians in dire, desperate need of temporary assistance. Eliminating General Assistance Cash Assistance program in Pennsylvania would be cruel and defies all public health and financial sense.
We need you to call on Pennsylvania lawmakers and ask them to support keeping the General Assistance program.
What is General Assistance and Who Relies on It?
Roughly 90 percent of the Pennsylvanians who temporarily rely on General Assistance program have permanent or temporary disabilities.
General Assistance is a critical lifeline, a last-resort safety net for people in crisis. In addition to people with disabilities, General Assistance assists people who can’t work, people with zero income, people in rehab for substance use orders, orphaned children, and victims of domestic violence displaced from their homes.
General Assistance grants range from $170 to $215 a month ($205 in Philly), and most are not ongoing. A significant percentage of General Assistance grants serve as bridge loans for people with disabilities. Many people are circumstantially forced to rely on General Assistance while waiting for the Social Security Administration to process their disability claim, a process that can take two years. The state is then reimbursed.
Learn more about General Assistance and how to apply here.
Take Action!
HB33 will likely go to the House floor for a vote in the near future.
Find your state Representative, and contact—preferably call–them to urge him or her to protect the General Assistance program by OPPOSING House Bill 33.
Contact Governor Wolf and urge him to protect General Assistance here.
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