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The guardianship system in New York is already stretched to its limits. And if federal cuts to public benefits programs and operations like Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP and Social Security are realized, the consequences will be catastrophic — not just for the individuals who rely on these programs, but for the entire guardianship system.

Guardianship involves the partial or complete removal of a person’s decision-making rights, transferring control over critical aspects of their life — including their finances, health care and living situation — to a court-appointed guardian. The system is increasingly being used as a catch-all solution, a last-ditch effort to fill the widening gaps in our frayed social safety net. If these cuts move forward, they will trigger a multi-part crisis, one that will undermine human and civil liberties, overwhelm an already-fragile system and misplace the role of guardianship as a fix for issues far beyond its scope.

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Guardianship is one of the most serious legal interventions that can be imposed on an individual.........

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