New York State’s Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC) will convene a public hearing in New York City to provide an opportunity for CPRAC to hear directly from New Yorkers about their experiences applying for and receiving public benefits.

 

The hearing will take place on April 29 from 5.30 to 7 p.m. at the Gramercy Park Suite of The New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan, 481 Eighth Ave, New York, NY 10001, and will focus on “administrative burdens” that New Yorkers face when applying for and receiving public assistance (also known as cash assistance or temporary assistance), food assistance (SNAP), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), including but not limited to:

• challenges completing application forms;
• understanding requirements related to each program;
• managing benefits once receiving them; and
• getting help with these processes.

 

New Yorkers interested in attending can register here. Attendees are invited to offer formal verbal statements at the public hearing. To provide time for comment from all, attendees are asked to keep formal verbal statements to 2 to 3 minutes or less. Registration is not required to attend or offer statements, but is encouraged. Registrants who provide an email address will receive a reminder email with public hearing details a few days before the event.

 

The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) will provide a webcast of the meeting in real time on April 29. However, the public hearing will not have the capability to allow for virtual participation. The public hearing will be hosted by CPRAC co-chair and OTDA Acting Commissioner Barbara Guinn, along with other statutory members of CPRAC.

 

New Yorkers interested in providing feedback about experiences with public benefits can also complete a brief, anonymous survey by May 15. Written statements should be emailed by May 15 to cpracpublichearing@otda.ny.gov.

 

State officials said the public hearing is part of the efforts of CPRAC to further the aims of the Child Poverty Reduction Act, which OTDA is facilitating in partnership with the Governor’s Office of the State of New York. They said the statements and feedback received from New Yorkers via this public hearing and survey will help CPRAC develop its recommendations to reduce child poverty by improving program access.

 

For more information, and the link to view this webcast live, click here.