Laura
09-28-2007, 02:42 AM
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-27-2007/0004671313&EDATE=
New York Court Approves Settlement for Thousands of Disabled New Yorkers to Receive Millions of Dollars in Food Stamps
NEW YORK, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Judge Richard M. Berman of the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has
approved a settlement in Harris v. Eggleston that is projected to bring
millions of dollars in Food Stamps to thousands of poor and disabled New
Yorkers. The total Food Stamps reimbursement could be as much as $71
million.
Despite a federal law that explicitly allows individuals to receive
both federal disability benefits and Food Stamps and numerous warnings from
the United States Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Food Stamps
program, the New York City Human Resources Administration automatically
terminated the Food Stamps of thousands of disabled welfare recipients when
they were approved for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the federal
benefit for low-income people who are too disabled to work.
"I am elated that the court approved our settlement agreement," said
Bill Lienhard, an attorney from the Urban Justice Center's Mental Health
Project representing the plaintiffs. "I look forward to seeing thousands of
poor and disabled New Yorkers finally receive the food stamps they need and
deserve."
"We are pleased that we could be the voice for such a large,
disenfranchised group that has been erroneously denied the benefits that
are rightfully theirs," said Jim Walden, Gibson Dunn partner representing
the plaintiffs pro bono.
A copy of the settlement is available at
http://www.urbanjustice.org/ujc/projects/mental.html.
About Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is a leading international law firm.
Consistently ranked among the world's top law firms by industry surveys and
major publications, Gibson Dunn is distinctively positioned in today's
global marketplace with more than 800 lawyers and 13 offices, including Los
Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Palo Alto, London,
Paris, Munich, Brussels, Orange County, Century City, Dallas and Denver.
For more information, please visit http://www.gibsondunn.com.
SOURCE Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
New York Court Approves Settlement for Thousands of Disabled New Yorkers to Receive Millions of Dollars in Food Stamps
NEW YORK, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Judge Richard M. Berman of the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has
approved a settlement in Harris v. Eggleston that is projected to bring
millions of dollars in Food Stamps to thousands of poor and disabled New
Yorkers. The total Food Stamps reimbursement could be as much as $71
million.
Despite a federal law that explicitly allows individuals to receive
both federal disability benefits and Food Stamps and numerous warnings from
the United States Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Food Stamps
program, the New York City Human Resources Administration automatically
terminated the Food Stamps of thousands of disabled welfare recipients when
they were approved for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the federal
benefit for low-income people who are too disabled to work.
"I am elated that the court approved our settlement agreement," said
Bill Lienhard, an attorney from the Urban Justice Center's Mental Health
Project representing the plaintiffs. "I look forward to seeing thousands of
poor and disabled New Yorkers finally receive the food stamps they need and
deserve."
"We are pleased that we could be the voice for such a large,
disenfranchised group that has been erroneously denied the benefits that
are rightfully theirs," said Jim Walden, Gibson Dunn partner representing
the plaintiffs pro bono.
A copy of the settlement is available at
http://www.urbanjustice.org/ujc/projects/mental.html.
About Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is a leading international law firm.
Consistently ranked among the world's top law firms by industry surveys and
major publications, Gibson Dunn is distinctively positioned in today's
global marketplace with more than 800 lawyers and 13 offices, including Los
Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Palo Alto, London,
Paris, Munich, Brussels, Orange County, Century City, Dallas and Denver.
For more information, please visit http://www.gibsondunn.com.
SOURCE Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP