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From the Archives: Blind Work Expenses Revisited

Aug 25, 2023

August is generally considered to be the ‘silly season’ to those in the press as everyone seems to be on vacation and nothing’s going on. This leads to rather random reports and stories. Avoiding that, we’re going to delve into the MDBCN blog archives and remind you...

A Modest Proposal: Social Security Seeks to Ease SSI Application Process

Aug 18, 2023

It's difficult not to be bemused by the announcement that Social Security have begun a "multi-year effort to simplify the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) application process" but perhaps we should be grateful that that first step in that thousand mile journey...

Burning Issue: PACT Act Increases Benefits to Veterans

Aug 11, 2023

A new law that comes under the full title of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act is now in place and certain Veterans should now apply. The PACT Act seeks to increase compensation and expand health...

Baby Steps: Undocumented Pregnant Marylanders Now Eligible for Medicaid

Aug 4, 2023

Effective as of July 1 this year the Healthy Babies Equity Act mandates that anyone who is a resident of Maryland and who is pregnant can qualify for Medicaid no matter their immigration status. Before July any non-citizen without legal status here would have had to...

Rest Assured: IRS Ends Unscheduled Visits

Jul 27, 2023

In a piece of news that will come as relief to taxpayers and anyone who’s wary of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the agency has announced that its long serving policy of turning up unannounced to collect on unpaid taxes has ended with immediate effect. From now...

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Forking Out: SNAP Updates and Maryland’s Response

It is now widely known that it is forty-two million Americans who receive SNAP benefits, still also known as food stamps. They remain at the mercy of a government, which has remained shut down for thirty-seven days at the time of writing, and shows no sign of opening...

SSA Announces 2026 COLAs

2026’s Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) was recently published and there are some limited but welcome increases across the board. Benefits are due to go up 2.8%. In terms of how that looks to SSI recipients, it means that the Federal Benefit Rate (FBR) will rise to...

SSA Reveals Service Plan during the Federal Government Shutdown

Social Security has issued a statement on its Advocates webpage highlighting the level of its availability during the government shutdown which went into effect today, October 1. Crucially, all SSI and SSDI payments will continue without change and on the same payment...

Oscillate Wildly: Changes to SSDI Overpayment Recovery Rates

It may have escaped your attention, as it did this writer’s, that on August 29 this year Social Security issued Emergency Message 25029 REV. Emergency Messages are the agency’s method of notifying every office of the new protocols to follow. This one’s purpose is to...

Tapping In: Maryland’s Assistive Technology Financial Loan Program

To judge from the figures presented in the 2024 review of Maryland Department of Disabilities’ Technical Assistance Program (MDTAP) there’s not much knowledge within the state of the program itself or any of its projects. MDTAP has provided the Assistive Technology...

Listen Up: Maryland DDA’s Low Intensity Support Services Program Accepting Applications

Maryland’s Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) has long understood the need to provide funding to children and adults in the community in order that they might lead happier and more fully integrated lives in the community. What was once called Rolling...

Social Security Turns 90!

To commemorate this landmark birthday, we've re-published the open letter from Frank Bisignano, the agency's current commissioner. Today, we celebrate the 90th anniversary of Social Security—a program that has stood as a pillarof economic security and dignity for...

Healthy Options? USDA Encouraging SNAP Food Restrictions

In further changes under the new administration (remarkably, it has only been seven months) the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services are now actively seeking states to implement further restrictions on what you can buy with food...

As You Were: VCU’s National Training and Data Center Re-opens

Last week we reported that Virginia Commonwealth’s NTDC has been closed and all services terminated. This week Social Security announced that the center is open once more. Melanie Webb, the Branch Chief of SSA’s Employment Programs, sent out an n email to the nation’s...

VCU’s National Training and Data Center Closed Down

Benefits Counselors around the country received the news today that Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) was forced to close the National Training and Data Center (NTDC) on July 29. The brief announcement from Melanie Webb, Branch Chief of Employment Programs at...