An Indiana man with autism says the state illegally cuts his Medicaid benefits anytime his food stamp allocation increases. And he’s probably not alone.

In a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union earlier this month, Michael Dick’s family alleges that the practice is widespread and seeks class action status for those affected.

Dick, 26, has autism and is nonverbal, functioning at the level of a first or second grader, his family says. He relies on support from Medicaid and food stamps to survive. But last year, when he received a $1.25 per day cost-of-living increase in food stamps, Dick’s family says the state Medicaid program docked his payments by the same amount, leaving Dick no better off financial despite rising costs.

According to the lawsuit, federal law prevents food stamps from being considered as income. The ACLU is asking a judge to prohibit Indiana officials from including food stamp funds when computing a person’s benefit for the Indiana Developmental Disabilities Waiver Program.

State officials insist they’re just acting as good stewards of taxpayer dollars, reports 6News, the Indianapolis ABC affiliate. To read more click here.

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