MATTER OF BAEZ v. Bane

OPINION OF THE COURT

Bellacosa, J.

The common question in these appeals is whether appellants, New York City and New York State Department of Social Services, forfeit all reimbursement with respect to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) retroactive benefit checks because of administrative delays of one to seven days, beyond the statutorily prescribed 10-day period, in forwarding excess benefit refunds to recipients. In the four cases before us, the Appellate Division held that the City and State lost reimbursement as to the entire sums of interim home relief benefits previously paid by them to…