State Controller needs to correct SSI/SSP payment information

People Will Get Their SSI/SSP Checks in February on Time Without Delay – So Why Is The State Controller Not Saying That?

With bad news hitting our state nearly every day, including budget cuts proposed that will have tremendous impact on our community of people with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors and low income families and children – how is it that the State thinks it is okay to somehow pile on MORE bad news even when it is not true or misleading?

State Controller John Chiang – a good and decent man, the highest elected Asian American official in California, and the state official in charge of paying the State’s bills, said last week – and posted on his website – a list of programs and services that could face at least 30 days delays in payments if no resolution to the budget crisis is enacted before February 1.  He also disclosed a list of programs and services that will be paid in February without any delay.

On his website – and on that list of payments that could be delayed included the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Payment program – federal and state grants that over a million people with disabilities, the blind and seniors depend on for basic living needs.

On his website Chiang writes:

“Those payments that will be delayed include thousands of payments to businesses for services and products they provide to the State; to assistance for more than a million aged, blind and disabled Californians that goes to pay their rent, utilities, or put food on their tables; to State agencies that use the payments to fund critical public services, ranging from public safety to health and welfare”

Except for one thing.  It is not true – or at least not true for February. And the State Controller’s office knows that – and so far, has failed to issue a statement that corrects the misleading information that is scaring thousands of people – or made a correction on his official website.

The State Controller does not cut the SSI/SSP checks – and the payment delay he refers to is the money the State sends to the federal government for the state portion of that grant (SSP).  And while he is correct – and it is true – that the State very well might delay sending that $188 million payment for SSI/SSP to the federal government – it does NOT mean any delay in people getting their SSI/SSP checks in February.

The federal Social Security Administration indicated – and the Controller’s office knows this – that it will cut those checks on time even if the state does delay sending it payment, because no 30 day notice was sent to people on SSI/SSP.

And the federal agency indicated it would treat a delay in payment to them as basically a “loan” to the State.

In addition, the State Controller’s list either omits certain programs or is vague on where it does, or contained errors:

1. In his original announcement last week, the list of payments that face possible delay in February were “regional developmental centers” under the Department of Developmental Services.  Except – no such entity exists under that department, but it managed to create confusion on what exact program DID face a possible delay in payment.  Was it regional centers – that fund community-based services for over 230,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities (including those with autism spectrum disorders, down syndrome, etc) or did he mean the state owned and operated developmental centers – formerly called state hospitals, that are health facilities for people with developmental disabilities? (It turns out he meant “regional centers”, which he corrected after the CDCAN Report noted the error)
2. His list omits the status of payment in February for several important programs – like CAPI (Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants) that provides critical state funded only SSP (Supplemental State Payment) level grants to people with disabilities, the blind and seniors who are legal immigrants but who do not qualify for the federal SSI program.  That program likely could face delays in payments in February – yet it is not listed.  Neither is the status of payment for the adoption assistance program, foster care and several programs that serve seniors.  The problem with the omission is that the Controller went out of his way to list not just the programs he believed could face delays in payments in February – he also provided a list of programs and services (including state employee and legislator’s pay) that do NOT face any delays in payment in February.
3. Where he does list programs that do not face delays – such as institutional and non-institutional Medi-Cal services, there  is no detail or explanation.  Does that include home health agencies, adult day health centers, home and community-based waivered services?  Pharmacies?  Well, it turns out it does – but you won’t find that information anywhere on the Controller’s list or website – or on any other State agency site.
4. And if Medi-Cal waivered services WILL be paid on time – then that would mean SOME of the regional center programs will in fact be paid on time too.  Or could be.  Yet nothing appears on his list or his website – or any other state website that clarifies this.
5. One last thing: may of the programs – like SSI/SSP, that receive certain federal funds, require specific notification to people receiving the services (or grants).  So how is a delay in possible payments in other areas – like CalWORKS – going to happen?

The bottom line is this: yes, California is facing a real and terrible crisis – not only in the budget, but in every part of our lives.  But our community – people with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors, low income families, community organizations and facilities that provide services, the workers who provide supports and services, and advocates all deserves better than this.

The State – the Controller, every state agency, the Governor, the Legislature, has a responsibility to provide good and accurate information, especially when it can have such devastating consequences for people.  Especially for our community of children and adults with disabilities, with mental health needs, seniors, low income families – the very people of California who have the least access to public policy making, to information.

And that lack of access combined with bad information – or no information – coming from the State – means not just knowing what is going on, it means scaring people that they could lose their homes, their children or their jobs or their healthcare. It means scaring people about losing money to pay for food, for rent, and utilities.

The same goes for budget proposals – or regulations and bills that call for devastating cuts.  Many of those proposals are shameful too – and my commentary about the Controller does not take away from our fight to oppose those proposed cuts that are devastating, wrong and shameful too.

And this is not to say that the budget news is not bad or scary.  It is.  We know that – we have known that every year since 2001.  It is just shameful and wrong though to put out bad or misleading information that needlessly scares people in our community.

If anyone else did that, it would be called abuse.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Call State Controller John Chiang’s office in Sacramento and urge that his office issues a clarification regarding the payments that face possible delays in February – and that his office corrects misleading information, especially about SSI/SSP on his website.  That doesn’t take away from the crisis we face – nor does making the correction take away the responsibility of the Governor and Legislature to do their job in solving the crisis.  But the State Controller needs to do his job too.

His office number is:  (916) 445-2636

Please be respectful – but be insistent that this be corrected.  John Chiang – and his staff – are good people.  But the information that was posted and distributed by him and his office was bad, was harmful and was wrong.

And call your local newspapers and TV and radio news stations.  Urge them to report the correction and the need for the Controller and other state agencies to make the correction – so the news can get out to the people who desperately need to know. And have a right to know.

Certainly the State Controller – a good man -  can do for our community what he rightfully did for state workers – he issued a statement earlier this week that firmly and unequivocally said he will not reduce any state worker pay checks in February – defying the Governor’s worker furlough order, unless he is ordered to do so by court order.  He did so because he believe the Governor’s order was unfair and wrong – and that it was wrong to scare workers.  That was the right thing to do.

He can do the same for our community.  He can stand up for us too in the same unequivocal way.  That is the right thing to do too.  And we have a right to expect it.