Four Facts About GA-U #3: GA-U Benefit Has Not Changed in 18 Years
Today is the third installment in a special series on General Assistance-Unemployable, a state program that provides assistance to adults who cannot work because of disability and are not eligible for other programs.
GA-U financial assistance provides modest help in meeting immediate needs for housing, food, and other basic necessities. The stipend offered by the state is $339 per month; an amount that has not changed since 1991 and does not account for the increased cost of living over that 18-year span.
As a way of comparing the GA-U benefit with the rising cost of living, the graph above shows the $339 monthly stipend compared to the fair market rent for a studio apartment in Pierce County. In 1991, the stipend would have been enough to pay the rent on a modest studio apartment. In 2009, it would cover just over half the cost.
