QUESTION
Does the Human Resources Administration (HRA) still offer burial assistance to undocumented individuals, and what are the requirements?
2:57:39
·
3 min
Human Resources Administration (HRA) officials state burial assistance is available for undocumented individuals on a case-by-case basis, not as a baseline policy.
- Assistance was a pandemic-era addition, not included in the baseline public assistance programs.
- Individuals must meet specific income and citizenship requirements to qualify.
- Funding for exceptions during the pandemic came from a one-time funding source.
- Diana I. Ayala shares a specific case from her district, highlighting discrepancies in eligibility and funding availability for funeral expenses.
Diana I. Ayala
2:57:39
HRA's office of burial services provides financial assistance with funeral expenses for debolo income city residents.
2:57:45
During the pandemic, there was funding available to undocumented individuals who do not qualify for this program.
2:57:50
Does age RE still provide verbal assistance to undocumented individuals?
Scott French
2:58:04
So regarding that program, we will we we look at things on a case by case basis.
2:58:09
And in certain instances, there will be exceptions where we will pay for it, but I don't know if chief Levine has more to add to that.
Ellen Levine
2:58:19
That was a pandemic era addition to the budget.
2:58:23
This is a public assist funded programs.
2:58:26
So as administered to French stated, we will on a case by case basis be able to provide funds for undocumented people.
2:58:34
But it's not part of the baseline.
Diana I. Ayala
2:58:37
But you don't have to be on public assistance to qualify for burial assistance.
Ellen Levine
2:58:44
You have to meet the income and citizenship requirements to get the benefit.
2:58:50
General
Diana I. Ayala
2:58:51
Okay.
2:58:52
And and what prevent so what prevented you from what what allowed you to make the reception during the pandemic.
2:59:00
What was there a waiver?
Ellen Levine
2:59:02
It was using a separate pot of money.
Diana I. Ayala
2:59:05
It was using one time.
Ellen Levine
2:59:06
Yeah.
2:59:06
One time funding source.
Molly Wasow Park
2:59:08
Okay.
Joslyn Carter
2:59:11
I
Diana I. Ayala
2:59:13
Yeah.
2:59:13
I asked because we had a situation, you know, we had I had a situation in my district where we had an asylum seeker that was murdered.
2:59:24
At at a at a one of the herbs.
2:59:27
And we had to I got through my office, we worked really hard to try to identify resources to have this individual picked up from the morgue and shipped to Venezuela.
2:59:43
It took almost 2 months for us to be able to do that.
2:59:48
But we did.
2:59:49
So we funded the trip to where we shipped them to.
2:59:53
I'm not gonna say because we had to go through a lot of hurdles to get him there.
2:59:58
But We got that privately funded, but the funeral expenses for for New York were denied through the city and approved through the state.
3:00:09
So I don't understand what is the discrepancy.
3:00:13
He was a he was a crime victim.
3:00:14
And so is it a separate We're
Molly Wasow Park
3:00:18
happy to take a look at this particular case.
Diana I. Ayala
3:00:20
Yeah.
3:00:21
I I would appreciate that because I I actually spoke to the mayor's office personally, and I still haven't heard back about funding, but the initially, what I was told was they were looking into it because he he was not a citizen, he did not qualify, which I think is ridiculous.
3:00:36
I think that whatever rules or exist, you know, are antiquated and need to change because We we are a city of immigrants, whether you came here from Venezuela the other day or not.
3:00:50
I mean, we have a lot of really poor people in New York City, and it's really expensive to have to, you know, view and bury someone.
3:01:01
And it's and it's heartbreaking not to be able to do that because you don't have the resource
Molly Wasow Park
3:01:05
absolutely agree on the heartbreaking piece of it.
3:01:07
And it is important that wherever possible, we are leveraging federal resources.
3:01:12
And as Nevan said, It is it is a requirement using cash assistance that that you meet various immigration statuses.
3:01:22
But also want to make sure that we aren't applying that standard too closely or too narrowly.
3:01:29
So I will certainly follow-up with you on that
