OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS
Legislative Office Building, Room 5200
Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 240-0200
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa
sHB-6482
AN ACT EXCLUDING FEDERAL VETERANS' BENEFITS FROM
INCOME ELIGIBILITY FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
Primary Analyst: ES 3/31/21
Contributing Analyst(s): LD
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 22 $ FY 23 $
Social Services, Dept. GF - Cost Indeterminate Indeterminate
Note: GF=General Fund
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill will result in a cost to the Department of Social Services
(DSS) associated with disregarding any federal benefits for veterans or
their surviving spouses for purposes of determining income eligibility.
By reducing the income that is currently counted towards income
limits, the bill increases the number of individuals who could be
eligible under the following DSS programs: Medicaid, the Medicare
Savings Program, State Supplement (Aid to the Aged, Blind and
Disabled), State Administered General Assistance, Connecticut Home
Care Program for Elders, and energy assistance.
For context, there were 167,000 veterans in Connecticut on 9/30/20.
The number of veterans participating in the assistance programs
specified by the bill is unknown. The impact of the bill is dependent on
(1) the number of veterans participating in each DSS program, (2)
the benefit amount being disregarded, and (3) the income limits of the
program.
2021HB-06482-R000240-FN.DOCX Page 2 of 2
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to inflation.