AARP applauds Legislative support for older residents & their families

AARP Connecticut applauds the Appropriations Committee, and Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee for supporting proposals that will make a positive impact in the lives of older Connecticut residents and their families.

The budget will:

• Support the creation of a Home and Community Based Services Ombudsman program. This funding is the first step in creating a program to advocate on behalf of the 30,000+ individuals who receive long-term supports and services in the community.
• Increase the minimum community spouse protected asset limit to $50,000, up from the current federal minimum of $27,480. This change will help married low- and middle-income Connecticut residents remain in their home and meet their basic needs if their spouse enters a nursing home. 
• Expand access to the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders, which provides valuable services to older adults who are at risk of nursing home placement but want to continue living at home. The proposed budget will increase asset limits for the state-funded portion of the program and lower the program copay from 4.5% to 3.5%.
• Build on the State’s work to provide high-speed internet access to low-income and underserved communities.
• Reduce car tax bills by capping the taxes that can be charged on each $1000 of assessed value.

Proposals which advanced various tax- and revenue-related changes will:

• Accelerate the phase-in of the pension and annuity income tax exemption by allowing qualifying taxpayers to deduct 100% of their eligible income beginning with the 2022 tax year (under current law the full exemption begins in 2025) and increase qualifying income thresholds.
• Increase the property tax credit from $200 to $300, then to $400, and expand the number of taxpayers who may claim the credit by eliminating the provision restricting its eligibility to seniors and people with dependents.
• Reduce car tax bills in towns with mill rates over 29%.

AARP Connecticut State Director Nora Duncan said ,“AARP’s purpose is to empower people to choose how they live as they age, and an important part of choosing how we live as we age is being able to choose where we live as we age. Most older adults want to remain in their own home and community as they age. Program availability, services and affordability are critical factors in making these choices.”  

On behalf of the nearly 600,000 AARP members in Connecticut, AARP encourages further negotiation and bipartisan support for these issues. AARP will continue to work with the General Assembly and Governor Lamont to make Connecticut a more livable state for everyone.