Opinion ID: 2140972
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Matter of Baez

Text: Petitioner applied for Federal Supplemental Security Income disability benefits in September 1980. That application was denied in October 1984. He reapplied in October 1988, and in September 1989, the Social Security Administration issued a determination that he was disabled as of June 10, 1986, and was entitled to SSI benefits from that date. Baez appealed the Administration's determination on the ground that his disability had begun prior to the date determined. While his applications for SSI benefits were pending, Baez applied for and received interim home relief benefits from the City. As a condition to receiving the interim payments, he was required to complete a written authorization allowing the Social Security Administration to remit SSI benefits later determined to be due to him to the New York City Department of Social Services ( see , Social Services Law § 158 [a]). The Social Security Administration eventually sent the City Department of Social Services two checks constituting the initial retroactive SSI payment to Baez. The City received the first check in the amount of $8,953.65, on December 12, 1989, and six working days later notified Baez that it was retaining the entire amount of the check as partial reimbursement for the $11,379.67 of interim assistance it had paid to him during the period from June 10, 1986, through December 29, 1989. The City received the second check on December 20, 1989, in the amount of $8,827.19, for the balance of initial retroactive SSI benefits due Baez. Eleven working days later on January 8, 1990, the City notified Baez that it was also retaining the entire proceeds of the second check as reimbursement for previously paid interim home relief. On February 7, 1990, the Department corrected its calculations and sent Baez a check for $6,407.90 as excess proceeds from the second check, along with notices of explanation. Only these payments are in issue, although others were challenged below and are no longer relevant under this Court's decision in Matter of Rodriguez v Perales (86 N.Y.2d 361). By letter dated July 1, 1992, Baez requested a fair hearing before the New York State Department of Social Services concerning the recovery of amounts in the SSI checks sent to the City in 1989 and early 1990  the only ones still at issue. The State rejected Baez's argument that the City lost the opportunity to seek any reimbursement for amounts of interim assistance it had paid because of its failure to remit to him the balance of SSI benefits in excess of the reimbursable amount within 10 working days (18 NYCRR 353.2 [c] [4]). Baez commenced this CPLR article 78 proceeding seeking to annul the State's determination. Supreme Court granted the petition, annulled the determination and ordered the City to return all but the initial retroactive SSI benefit check (159 Misc 2d 838).