Judge blocks welfare cutoffs for families

Michigan's plan to end welfare cash assistance for about 11,000 families was at least temporarily blocked by a court order Monday, the second delay for some of the cuts.

Genesee County Circuit Judge Geoffrey Neithercut blocked the Michigan Department of Human Services from using a five-year lifetime limit based on federal regulations to end benefits for some welfare recipients. Some families were expected to begin losing benefits this month, but the injunction would prohibit that while a related court case continues.

The state quickly appealed the ruling to the Michigan Court of Appeals.

Monday's ruling doesn't affect roughly 100 families expected to lose their benefits this month because of a new state law that restricts lifetime benefits to four years.

The five-year limit stems from a Department of Human Services policy based on federal regulations. The five-year limit would apply to cases that began prior to Oct. 1, 2007, and could cover welfare cases that began as early as 1996.

The Center for Civil Justice, which sued on behalf of welfare recipients, says the five-year limit does not include all of the exemptions required by state law.