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MDA Initiative to Help Maryland Food Bank to Buy Local

May 12, 2023

In an effort to increase food access across the state, the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) has announced that it has signed on to an initiative funded by the US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Marketing Service which will enable local farmers...

Proof of Delivery? Conclusions from the POD Project

Apr 28, 2023

On these pages back at the tail end of 2017 we let you know about POD (Promoting Opportunity Demonstration). POD was a new demonstration project that Social Security was implementing to see how a different set of work incentives might change outcomes for working SSDI...

Whatever Happened to SSA’s Red Book?

Apr 24, 2023

Social Security were in the practice of publishing an annual version of their highly comprehensive guide to work incentives for those on SSDI and SSI but, like a disused KN95 mask, it appears to have fallen by the wayside. SSA’s Red Book webpage shows the last full...

National Disability Forum Coming Soon!

Apr 7, 2023

Social Security have announced the date and topic of their next National Disability Forum. The focus will be “Aspects of Childhood Disability and Childhood SSI” and is set for 1pm on April 19. In keeping with the times it’s going to be a virtual meeting held...

Food Stamps Stolen? Maryland Can Reimburse You

Mar 31, 2023

Food stamp fraud has recently become so prevalent In Maryland, with a reported 2,366 households having had money stolen from their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) accounts in the past 6 months, that the Department of Human Services (DHS) has created a simple way for...

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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...