Protests, Challenges Ahead Of Welfare Cutoff
DETROIT (WWJ) - A crowd gathered Friday outside the State of Michigan building in Detroit to protest new welfare limits that go into effect this Saturday.
Among the dissidents was Lynette Battle, who is raising her two grandsons, ages 11 and 12.
Battle told WWJ's Pat Sweeting she currently receives $400 a month from the state for their care. She said that while that's about to end, the challenges she faces will not.
"I take them to the Children's Center twice a month, and one of them is seeing a psychiatrist," Battle said. She moved to Detroit from New Orleans to look after the boys.
"I'm just gonna pray that my grandchildren will not be hungry," Battle said.
About 41,000 people will lose their cash assistance when the new four-year lifetime limit on welfare cash goes into effect. About 30,000 of those people are children.
Meantime, a lawyer is asking a federal judge to reject the new limits. The lawsuit says more than 10,000 families and more than 20,000 children will be affected.
WWJ Newsradio 950 spoke with Terri Stangl, executive director of the Center For Civil Justice in Saginaw, which filed the suit.
She said the state of Michigan isn't following its own rules.
"The reason they gave for the termination (was) cited to a law or a policy that nobody has ever seen," Stangl said. "It's basically been secret and no one has actually seen the underlying rules they're using to cut somebody off."
Stangl said some of the people she represents are being told they will be cut off, even though they should still be eligible to receive the money.
The case is expected to come before U.S. District Judge Paul Borman next Tuesday.
