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Concern is growing that there will be a 20 percent across the board cut in IHSS hours if the state fails to meet its revenue projections for this year. This cut would take effect on January 1, 2012.
We need to fight back and we need to begin NOW
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UDW is implementing a statewide advocacy and education campaign to fight the proposed 20 percent cut. For more information on how to get involved |
Key points to know:
- The IHSS program is facing devastating cuts. If the state fails to achieve its budget projections, it will “trigger” a 20% reduction in service hours for all recipients, beginning in January 1, 2012.
- Many other service programs, such as Adult Day Health Care and Multi-Purpose Senior Services, have been eliminated or severely cut. IHSS is the only thing that stands between thousands of seniors and disabled individuals and far-more-costly nursing home care.j
- That’s why a 20% cut in IHSS would be penny wise and pound-foolish.
- A 20% cut not only means lost services for recipients, it also means lost wages for providers.
- IHSS providers receive an average of $9.50 an hour, and generally all of that income goes straight into local economies. When hours are cut, providers are not able to spend money in the community.
- A 20% cut would cause an estimated loss of more than $71 million in IHSS provider wages, resulting in approximately $92 million in lost spending and business activity. This is a JOB KILLER that California cannot afford at this time.
- UDW has been very successful in the past with promoting alternative solutions to program cuts.
- Last year UDW supported cost savings alternatives such as the state’s participation in the federal Community First Choice Option and the Medi-Cal Medication Dispensing Machine Pilot Project. These programs will save the state money and prevented cuts to the IHSS program. The current language in the FY 11-12 budget would prevent us for developing alternatives like these should the “trigger” be pulled in December.
- If the budget “trigger” is pulled in December, UDW is asking the legislature to change the language in the budget to give us time to come up with alternative ways to achieve the necessary savings so that we can avoid these wage and service cuts and continue to contribute to our local economies.
Watch Video with budget background on ”Trigger Cuts”
Download Fact Sheet to share this information with others (English, pdf file)
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