Welfare grant rising 10 percent under state budget agreement: official

PHOTOGRAPHER: The Associated Press

A senior Cuomo administration official says the tentative New York state budget will boost the basic social services benefit by 10 percent while making sweeping changes in education and focusing billions of dollars on construction and economic development in coming years.

The agreements with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate leader Dean Skelos to be announced late today will include a total 10 percent increase in the welfare grant in June. Gov. Andrew Cuomo had sought to delay half of that because of the state’s slow economic recovery.

The basic welfare grant is about $350 a month for a family of three.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deals are scheduled to be announced later Tuesday.