Casey v. New York State Department of Social Services

56 A.D.2d 72, 391 N.Y.S.2d 173, 1977 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 10019
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedFebruary 7, 1977
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 56 A.D.2d 72 (Casey v. New York State Department of Social Services) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Casey v. New York State Department of Social Services, 56 A.D.2d 72, 391 N.Y.S.2d 173, 1977 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 10019 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinion

O’Connor, J.

The petitioner initiated a proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78 to compel the appellants to consider and determine her eligibility for New York State supplementary income, available under title 6 of article 5 of the Social Services Law. The Special Term granted her request to the extent of directing the appellants to determine petitioner’s [73]*73application on the record made at the fair hearing. We reverse and dismiss the petition.

FACTS

The petitioner is a 27-year-old mentally retarded woman. She resided with her parents in Westchester County since the age of two. For at least the last eight years she has attended the Martha Lloyd School, a residential facility for retarded women, which is located in Troy, Pennsylvania. During holidays and vacations she always returns to her parents’ home, where she has her own room. She only keeps seasonal clothing at the Pennsylvania school; her parents have testified that they never intended to have petitioner become a permanent resident of the school.

In 1974 petitioner filed an application with the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to receive Federal supplemental security income pursuant to subchapter XVI of the Social Security Act, as well as an additional supplementary payment from the State of Pennsylvania. The Social Security Administration, a bureau of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, determined that petitioner was a disabled individual entitled to receive these payments. The award of these benefits was predicated upon petitioner’s residence in the State of Pennsylvania.

In April, 1975 petitioner applied to the Westchester County Department of Social Services for a New York State supplemental payment, analogous to the Pennsylvania supplemental payment she was already receiving. On June 5, 1975 the application was denied on the ground that petitioner was not a New York State resident attending a certified facility located within New York State. This determination was appealed to the New York State Department of Social Services and a State fair hearing was conducted on September 17, 1975. The State Commissioner affirmed the denial of petitioner’s application, but stated as his basis: "The Westchester County Department of Social Services lacks authority to determine whether appellant is entitled to additional state payments from the State of New York.” This was so because, pursuant to an agreement ehtered into between the State of New York and the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, under the authority of section 211 of the Social Services Law, only the Secretary had the authority to determine [74]*74petitioner’s eligibility for supplemental State income payments.

On March 26, 1976 petitioner commenced this article 78 proceeding to annul the commissioner’s determination.

THE CONTENTIONS OF THE PARTIES

Petitioner takes the position that it is New York State which is obligated to determine her eligibility for supplemental State income payments available under title 6 of the Social Services Law. She satisfies the residency and other requirements of title 6. It was arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion to refuse to consider her application for supplemental State benefits.

Appellants contend that they do not have the authority to consider petitioner’s application. An agreement between New York State and the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare vests the sole power to determine eligibility for the State supplemental payments with the Secretary. Petitioner has submitted her application to the wrong party.

THE OPINION OF THE SPECIAL TERM

The Special Term annulled the determination and directed the appellants to consider and pass upon the petitioner’s application. It stated: "Section 212 of the Social Services Law provides that the social services districts shall be responsible for the administration of the states’ program of additional state payments and shall accept applications for additional state payments and determine eligibility in accordance with the Social Services Law and the regulations of the Federal Department. Section 212 of the Social Services Law places the responsibility to determine eligibility with the State of New York. There is nothing contained in title 6 which grants authority to determine eligibility to the Federal Department. While subdivision (1) (d) of section 212 does give the Department the right to require the State to re-certify eligibility periodically, the initial determination is to be made by the State.”

THE STATUTORY SCHEME AND THE AGREEMENT OF JULY 12,

A. SOCIAL SERVICES LAW

"§ 207. Declaration of Purpose. The legislature hereby de[75]*75dares its commitment to meeting the income needs of * * * disabled persons who are receiving basic supplemental security income benefits * * * in order to fully employ available federal aid for the benefit of such persons residing in this state, there is hereby established a state-wide program of additional state payments for * * * disabled persons.”

"§ 211. Agreements for federal administration.

"1. The department is hereby authorized, on behalf of the state, to enter into an agreement with the secretary of the federal department of health, education and welfare whereby the secretary agrees to administer the state’s program of additional state payments, including determining the eligibility of individuals and couples for such payments.
"2. Any such agreement may authorize the secretary to make additional state payments on behalf of the state to persons found eligible for such payments pursuant to the provisions of this title, in amounts authorized by the provisions of this title, and shall contain conditions of eligibility for such additional state payments, including the requirement of current residence and amounts of earned or unearned income to be disregarded in determining eligibility, in accordance with the provisions of this title, regulations of the department and federal law and regulations.”

"§ 212. Responsibility; financing.

“1. Unless there is in effect an agreement for federal administration of additional state payments pursuant to section two hundred eleven of this title, each social services district shall be responsible for providing such payments to persons who are receiving or who would but for their income be eligible to receive, supplemental security income benefits, and who reside or are found in such district, subject to supervision by the state and subject to reimbursement by the state in an amount
equal to one-half of such payments made by such district
* * *
"2. If there is in effect an agreement for the federal administration of additional state payments, the state shall be responsible for paying to the secretary an amount equal to: (a) the amount expended under the state’s programs of old age assistance, assistance to the blind and aid to the disabled during the calendar year, nineteen hundred seventy-two, less any federal funds properly received on account of such ex[76]*76penditures; plus (b) any amounts in addition to such sums as may be required by the agreement.”

B. U.S. CODE, TIT. 42

"§ 1382e.

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Bluebook (online)
56 A.D.2d 72, 391 N.Y.S.2d 173, 1977 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 10019, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/casey-v-new-york-state-department-of-social-services-nyappdiv-1977.