Today, advocates from New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), the Urban Justice Center (UJC), and Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS) released a new report about wasteful and harmful Social Security policies, which discriminate against adults and children with disabilities. The report focuses on issues arising in New York State and Pennsylvania, but this is…
Billie Washington was struggling to make ends meet. A former home care attendant, she was no longer able to work due to her rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other illnesses. While waiting for her disability benefits hearing, she began receiving General Assistance. Ms. Washington carefully budgeted the monthly $205.00 to cover her rent, toiletries, medical co-payments, and public transportation to get to doctor’s appointments. When she found out that General Assistance was being eliminated, Ms. Washington felt like she had the rug yanked out from under her. Describing the feeling of desperation, she said, “I was crushed. I just, I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
Clearing a criminal record can change the course of a person’s life. Every year, one thousand low-income individuals come to Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS) because they are facing barriers to employment caused by criminal records. Consider CLS client James, who struggled for years with under and unemployment and could not sufficiently provide for…
As of November 14, 2016, people with certain misdemeanor convictions can ask the court to seal their record. A sealed record will only be available to law enforcement. It will NOT be available to employers or the public. You may be eligible if all of the following apply: 1. You were convicted (plead guilty or were found guilty) of…
