Connecticut Restores State-Funded Benefits To Immigrants

IMMIGRANTS & PUBLIC BENEFITS

Health Care

Connecticut restores state-funded benefits to immigrants
Immigrants' Rights Update, Vol. 18, No. 4, June 18, 2004

When Gov. John G. Rowland signed HB 5689 into law on May 21, 2004, Connecticut restored state-funded public assistance benefits to immigrants. While Connecticut was one of the first states to use state-only dollars to cover immigrants who became ineligible for federal benefit programs under the 1996 federal welfare law, restrictions were subsequently implemented that prohibited the state Dept. of Social Services from accepting any new public assistance applications from such immigrants after June 30, 2003.

The state-funded benefits that were restored by the new law include Medicaid, the Connecticut home-care program, food stamps, and cash assistance. All lawfully residing immigrants who meet the categorical requirements for the programs will be eligible. Applicants for cash assistance must pursue U.S. citizenship “to the maximum extent allowed by law” unless they are incapable of doing so due to a medical problem, language barrier, or other reason as determined by the commissioner of Social Services. To be eligible for the food stamp program, immigrants must have resided in Connecticut for at least six months. New eligibility rules will go into effect on July 1, 2004.