Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart has released a new report, Access Denied: Monroe County’s Benefits System, showing that the County’s public assistance programs are riddled with barriers that delay, deny, or cut off essential support to residents. Drawing on state data, budget documents, and open records requests, the report details persistent and troubling trends—including excessive denials, procedural case closures, and long delays in application processing.
“This report shows that Monroe County’s benefits system isn’t just inefficient—it’s actively difficult to navigate,” said Barnhart. “And even worse, the County knows this.”
Key findings include:
- In 2024, 81.5% of applications for Temporary Assistance in Monroe County were denied—the fourth highest rate in the state, and the highest among peer counties.
- Monroe County processes more applications than any other county outside NYC, suggesting many residents are forced to reapply multiple times.
- 75% of case closures are due to procedural issues like failure to recertify—compared to 51% in Erie and 62% in Onondaga.
- Over 1,300 households in 2024 waited more than 60 days—double the legal limit—for a decision on their application.
- Sanctions are down but increasing again, with no one tracking how many families are barred from shelter simply because they couldn’t find housing in a limited timeframe.
The report also reviews the County’s $2.8 million Community Integration Initiative, which aimed to improve access through neighborhood-based service delivery.
“Monroe County is wildly different from nearly every other county in the state. From the number of people applying, to how many are denied, to how many are cut off for paperwork issues, the data shows a system that’s fundamentally out of step with how public assistance is administered elsewhere in New York,” said Barnhart.
The report calls for increased transparency, a reevaluation of cost-avoidance metrics, and reforms to ensure residents are supported—not shut out—by the systems designed to help them.The full report, Access Denied: Monroe County’s Benefits System, is available here.