Suit seeks
more money
for disabled

A Legal Aid Society complaint asks
the state to bump such assistance back
up to the $418 a month paid in 1996

Suzanne Tswei
Star-Bulletin

All John Cosgrove wants for the holidays is a 99-cent hamburger from Burger King. The 42-year-old disabled handyman says he cannot afford even a burger on the $340 monthly general assistance he receives from the state.

"Rent is $200, the phone is $40, cable is another $30. That leaves about $70. That doesn't leave you much money to buy anything," Cosgrove said.

Cosgrove thinks the state is the Grinch that stole Christmas. But the state says it is playing Santa with limited funds.

Cosgrove is one of 5,550 disabled people in Hawaii receiving general assistance. The state program helps the disabled who are unable to work and have no other means of support.

The Legal Aid Society of Hawaii filed a lawsuit last week on behalf of Cosgrove and three others, demanding that the state raise the payment to $418 until proper methods for calculating benefits are adopted.

"What we are asking here is enough money in the meantime to get people through the holidays," said Craig Castellanet, a Legal Aid attorney.

Kris Foster, state financial assistance program administrator, said the state cannot afford to raise the benefits.

"The problem is, simply, there is no more money. If we issued $418, we would run out of money in February," she said yesterday.

Foster said the Legislature approves a block grant for general assistance benefits each fiscal year and the state divides that money among the number of people on the program for each month of the year.

"Our intent is always to spend the amount of money that was appropriated in the fiscal year. We do not try to save any money, but we don't want to run out of money, either," Foster said.

The state reviews the benefits every three to four months. If there are fewer recipients, then the remaining recipients would receive more money. Foster said benefits will go to $388 in January as a periodic adjustment.

At the end of the fiscal year, which is June, any unused money will be dispersed among all recipients, Foster said.

Castellanet, however, said the state could use a better method that allows for higher monthly payments and less surplus at the end of the year.

"It's nice to get a lump sum, but in the meantime, people could use the money now," he said.

Legal Aid is asking that the state restore payment to $418, the amount paid in 1996 and calculated based on the 1993 federal poverty level.

Benefits decreased in 1996 because the Legislature in 1995 changed the funding from an entitlement program to a block grant, Foster said. Entitlement allows the state to fund the program as the need increases, but the block grant limits funding to a specific yearly amount.

Cosgrove worked for a real estate management company until he injured his back in 1994. Medical bills depleted his money, including a $33,000 settlement from workers' compensation. He ended up on general assistance about three to four months ago, he said, while he waits for his Social Security to begin in 2002.

The $340 he receives allows him to eat only once a day, usually rice, beans and tortillas, he said. "I can't remember when was the last time I had a burger."