NEW YORK (AP) -- Welfare recipients in New York state will soon start seeing their monthly checks go up, thanks to the first increase in the basic cash allowance in 19 years.
The increase was approved in the state's new budget and begins this month. For a single person, monthly allowances will go from $137.10 to $151.10, an increase of $14.
For a family of three, the increase is $30, from $291 to $321; for a family of four, it will go to $413.70 from $375.70, an increase of $38.
The change was part of Gov. David Paterson's budget; the subsidy is also expected increase incrementally in 2010 and 2011.
Advocates for the poor had fought for the change for years, arguing that the subsidy was not high enough.
``It was way overdue,'' said Mark Dunlea, the executive director of the Hunger Action Network of New York State, a group that lobbied for the change.
He told The New York Times in Monday's editions, ``Nineteen years is a very long time.''
Recipients were glad to know the change was coming.
``For other people it might be insignificant,'' Ketny Jean-Francois told the paper. ``But if you're counting every penny and every minute, it means something. It means something to me.''
``It hasn't gone up in years. That is great,'' said Georgeanna Hicks. She said the additional money would come in handy to cover costs like higher subway fares.
``I can go look for a job more often now,'' she said. ``I'll do my laundry more often. I'll spend it on things like toilet paper, lotion, dishwashing soap. I can't really buy much of anything, but it'll help me.''
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