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Staff warns welfare changes and rising housing costs are straining senior and disabled benefits
Summary
Welfare staff described new statutory residency rules and said the changes may increase legal complexity and administrative cost; committee members urged a review of senior benefits as more local residents face housing stress.
Assistant director and committee members said recent legislative changes to residency rules and other statutes have complicated the delivery of general assistance and welfare benefits, increasing the likelihood of hearings and legal questions when residency is disputed. "If I decide that they're not our resident, and I decline... there's a provision in there that we can have a hearing on that," the assistant director said, warning that such hearings would be costly and that many municipalities will avoid hiring attorneys for those proceedings.
Members also flagged rising housing costs and household debt (credit-card rates and rent increases) that are causing more seniors and disabled residents to seek municipal assistance. Committee members urged a review of exemptions and senior deductions to assess whether current benefits remain adequate and recommended the committee consider those pressures when setting budget priorities.
