Below are the results of the Foundation's support for three National Center for Law and Economic Justice (NCLEJ) cases litigating on behalf of access to public benefits.
Undertook successful enforcement of a consent decree it had obtained against the State of Colorado to ensure the rights of low-income people to have access to food stamps, Medicaid, and child health benefits in a timely manner. As a result of the state’s delays in processing applications, tens of thousands of eligible households could not access food aid and medical benefits. Continued monitoring occurred until 2017 when the State achieved the timely processing of food stamps and other benefits. Davis v. Hennebury
“With the support from the Foundation, tens of thousands of low-income households gained access to subsistence benefits necessary to sustain life and health,” said the National Center for Law and Economic Justice.
Click here to see the original grant, including the six-month and year-end reports.
Negotiated changes in access to Medicaid benefits in Hawaii where low-income persons were experiencing long delays in processing their applications and obtained adjustments to the State’s recertification procedures so that families did not have to submit repeated applications in order to access health benefits.
As a result of these efforts, the State dramatically improved its ability to process new Medicaid applications. Booth v. Koller
Click here to see the original grant, including the six-month and year-end reports.
Obtained a preliminary and permanent injunction against the State of Connecticut on behalf of low-income people to enforce their rights to food stamps. Because of unjustified denials and delays in processing food stamp applications 40% of the eligible households in Connecticut could not access food stamps in a timely manner leaving families going hungry for weeks and months. Extensive discovery occurred in the case after which the district judge ordered the parties to utilize experts to negotiate a remedy.
Subsequently, in March of 2017 the district court approved a comprehensive class action settlement. Briggs v. Bremby
“At the beginning of the litigation, Connecticut was last in the nation in terms of the timely processing of food stamps. Now, it is in the forefront of delivering food stamps to households in a manner that will help them put food on the table,” said Greg Bass, Senior Attorney.
Click here to see the original grant, including the six-month and year-end reports.