Welfare Due Process Project
Core Values | Common Ground | Equal Justice
The Welfare Due Process Project staff works with various agencies to develop an effective outreach and referral process that identifies problems, educates clients and providers, and advocates for the legal rights of welfare recipients. The WDPP staff also collects data on individual families that represent the systemic issues and problems in the welfare system. Every day, recipients of cash assistance are sanctioned by the state, lose medical and cash benefits, are pushed into low wage jobs and are not offered the employment-enhancement and educational opportunities promised them by Nebraska law. In many cases, the state of Nebraska does not hold up its end of the welfare contract, thereby making it illegal for the state to terminate benefits after two years or to issue sanctions. These actions only keep families dependent and do not offer real solutions to poverty.
The Welfare Due Process Project is designed to provide legal advice and assistance to those who are having problems dealing with public assistance programs.
Request an outreach presentation by the WDPP - Please fill out our on-line request form.
Receive print materials such as WDPP brochures, handbooks, and reports. Please fill out our on-line request form or click the links below the document title on the form to download.
New Education Opportunities for Nebraska
Nebraska Legislature passes and the governor signs LB 458 – a bill that will make it possible for Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) participants to pursue an Associates Degree beyond 12 months.
Learn More | Hear Appleseed’s “Choosing Education” radio advertisement
Class Action Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Low-Income Families Seeking Reinstatement of Access to Medical Care
The Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest filed a class action lawsuit challenging the State of Nebraska's authority to take medical assistance away from low-income families. The suit asserts that the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has overstepped its bounds by removing vital Medicaid health care coverage from struggling families who have already received penalties from another assistance program.
Read the Press Release | Read the News Coverage | Read the Court Documents
Projects
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We ensure that the rights of families receiving support through Employment First are protected and that the program itself serves these families in the most effective way to help them achieve lasting self-sufficiency. |
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We defend the civil rights of welfare recipients within the context of public benefits programs. |
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We protect the special rights that victims of domestic violence have under several public benefits programs in Nebraska. |
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We protect the right of Employment First participants to engage in post-secondary education as their work activity. |
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We protect the rights of ADC recipients and Employment First participants. |
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We are very active in the courts on this issue. We also track changes to the Medicaid program at both the federal and state levels and work with allies to shape the debate surrounding positive Medicaid reform. |
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We, in conjunction with Nebraska Appleseed’s Immigrant Integration and Civic Participation Project, help individuals, community service providers and the larger community understand the rules that apply to immigrants in need of assistance from these programs as they move toward self-sufficiency. |
Choosing Education Public Service Announcement
Choosing Education as Your Work Activity Under Nebraska's Employment First Program
Nebraska judge strikes down Medicaid rule
Kate Bolz