Governor Kathy Hochul sent a record-breaking $223 billion budget to the New York legislature in January, but she also asked for a huge cut, $1.2 billion, to the Consumer Direct Personnel Assistance Program (CDPAP), a key program that serves people, especially adults, with autism and other disabilities. Hochul also proposed programmatic changes that could push disabled people out of the program. During March, Albany’s attention focuses exclusively on fighting over the State budget, which is due for completion by April 1. So now is the time to speak up.

CDPAP allows disabled people to hire people of their choosing to assist them in daily living needs. This allows people to remain in their homes and communities while being assisted by trusted workers, which results in higher quality of life and much less abuse than in other settings. CDPAP is far less costly for taxpayers than group homes or other residential placements. More than 250,00 New Yorkers depend on CDPAP.

Fortunately, both the State Senate and the Assembly released alternative budgets that do not include Hochul’s wage cuts and program changes. But we need to push now to assure Hochul’s changes do not go through.

 

TAKE ACTION

Please use the panel to the right to send messages to Governor Hochul and your State Senator and Assemblymember asking them to stop the CDPAP budget cuts and program  changes.

 

Call Governor Hochul, and your State Senator, and Assemblymember and tell them not to change the CDPAP program:

Governor Kathy Hochul (518) 474-8390

 

Look up your State Senator’s contact info here:

https://www.nysenate.gov/about

 

Look up you Assemblymember’s contact info here:

https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/

 

RALLY, 2/26

A rally will be held in Albany on Tuesday, March 26 to support CDPAP and fight the cuts. More information HERE.

 

TALKING POINTS

 

Wage Cuts

Hochul requested wage and benefit cuts for care workers in NYC totaling $2.54 per hour, reducing compensation to $18.54 according to CDANY, the lowest reimbursement has been since 2018. Imagine trying to survive in New York City at $18 an hour? Workers in Long Island and Westchester would face a wage and benefit cut of $1.66 per hour. 

Wages for personal assistants are already low. So low that recruiting and retaining workers, who can frequently find higher wages and benefits elsewhere, is an ongoing issue.

 

Eliminating Designated Representatives

Hochul also proposed eliminating a position called a “designated representative.”  The designated representative manages workers and performs administrative tasks for people who are too disabled to do it for themselves. More than 100,000 people have designated representatives. The Governor did not provide an alternative arrangement to the designated representative, and advocates are concerned that it is a backdoor way to shove people out of the program. 

Governor Hochul has proposed expanding a wide range of state activities and expenditures, which is why we have the largest ever proposed budget. Do not let her divert resources currently used for the most vulnerable people in the state to benefit politically favored causes.

Please share this message with friends and family and please share on social media.