Senator Bill Weber Calls for Increase in Pay for Human Service Direct Care Workers, Senate Majority Rejects Amendment

Senator Bill Weber, a dedicated advocate for vulnerable populations, has called for an increase in pay for human service direct care workers in the 2024 New York State budget. The minimal 4% increase in the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) is insufficient for human services agencies compared to the almost 9% consumer price increase of the previous year.

To address this, Senator Weber proposed an amendment to increase the COLA for human services agencies by 8.5%. This increase would benefit non-profit agencies that employ direct care workers. Unfortunately, the majority running the Senate rejected Senator Weber's amendment, despite calls to increase the COLA by 11.8% the previous year. "As a New York State Senator, I reminded my fellow lawmakers that it is our duty to look out for all New Yorkers, particularly the vulnerable populations impacted by disabilities or needing direct care support,"

Senator Weber said. "I emphasized the importance of ensuring that mental health, disability, and other human services direct care professionals had the resources to help people who needed it the most and continue to work and train/recruit others to dedicate their lives to this important field."

Senator Weber's proposed amendment would have increased the pay for hardworking non-profit providers and direct care support professionals by 8.5%. Despite the Senate majority's rejection of the amendment, Senator Weber remains committed to advocating for an increase in pay for human service direct care workers.