Federal Judge: Idaho Can't Cut Cash Assistance Yet
by Rebecca Boone
Associated Press Writer
BOISE -- Idaho says it hopes to move ahead with its austerity measures after a federal judge blocked the state from cutting a cash assistance program for some developmentally disabled adults.
U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill says Idaho must do more to ensure recipients or their guardians are properly notified of the changes.
Attorneys for some recipients had argued cutting the monthly payments could leave their clients without enough money for a certified family home, forcing them to become institutionalized.
The Department of Health and Welfare says the agency is working on a plan to ensure those affected by cuts get adequate notice.
Nearly 15,000 Idaho residents get cash payments through the Aid for the Aged, Blind and Disabled program. The cuts would reduce or eliminate payments to about 1,250 of them.