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SSA National Disability Forum Coming Soon

Sep 5, 2022

In this month’s Social Security updates, the agency has announced an up-coming forum whichwill center on working to help those experiencing homelessness access SSA benefits for whichthey may well be eligible. The pellucidly titled “Homelessness: Working with...

SSA Adds More Conditions to the Compassionate Allowance List

Aug 26, 2022

It was almost exactly a year ago that this blog announced twelve additional conditions and diseases that would be considered by Social Security to meet their criteria for Compassionate Allowances. Twelve months later another twelve conditions have been added to the...

SSA Makes Further Updates to My Social Security Accounts

Aug 19, 2022

In their on-going push to get everyone to conduct their business without having to communicate directly with anyone at the agency, Social Security has announced a couple of tweaks to the My Social Security account. If you receive Social Security benefits and need to...

Need Help with Food Stamps? There’s Assistance Out There

Aug 12, 2022

A recent article in the Baltimore Banner brought to light the plight of many Marylanders who were receiving food stamps but who, through no fault of their own, lost eligibility through miscommunication issues during the annual redetermination process. The Department...

Modifications Made to SSI Mobile Wage Reporting

Aug 5, 2022

The Social Security Administration has had in place for a few years now various options for SSI recipients to report their earnings. Where once it was advisable to go in person to your local office or to fax your pay stubs, you could also just call in and let a worker...

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Spread the Word: Social Security Promotes ‘Slam the Scam’ 2026

National Consumer Protection week, which has been sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission since 1998, is soon to be upon us. It runs from March 1 to 7 and is designed to spread awareness and provide information to us, the consumers, on how to best safeguard our own...

Cold Comfort: The Scope of Maryland Energy Assistance Programs

The recent cold snap has brought with its rock-heavy snow and breathtakingly icy winds the reminder of how lucky the majority of us are to have warm homes in which we can hide away until the temperatures rise again. Of course, not all of us can rely on such comforts,...

SNAP Tackles Pop: States Ban Food Stamp Purchases of Soda and Candy

There have always been restrictions on what you can buy with food stamps, now dubbed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP (a godsend to sub-editors everywhere). The simple, if perhaps occasionally dubious, pleasures that alcoholic beverages provide...

2026’s 1619(b) Thresholds Are Out!

Unlike many annual changes in the benefits world, which are announced on a fairly rigid schedule, recent history has shown that we can never quite be sure when the new thresholds for 1619(b) are going to be announced. Fortunately, this year there hasn’t been much of a...

Health Check: Changes to Medicaid in Maryland

The new year is an obvious time to make changes if that’s what you’re going to do and it might seem that if things are going to be different for Medicaid beneficiaries now would be the time to learn what’s new. Oddly enough, even though there are changes afoot,...

What’s New? Update on 2026 Benefits Changes

Now that we have to admit that the holidays are truly over and we're embedded in the new year, for better or for worse, it's worth having a quick look over the new annual figures that will affect those of us who receive federal benefits. By now everyone who receives...

Happy Holidays from MDBCN to You!

Another year comes to another close and although we can hardly look back on 12 months of love, peace, and harmony we can always hope for that in the future. Whatever may come to pass, we at the Maryland Benefits Counseling Network will continue to endeavor to keep you...

Getting Better: ABLE Changes for 2026

Back in 2022 Congress passed a bill that is about to go into effect. The ABLE Age Adjustment Act decreed that as of January 2026 the age threshold for Achieving Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts would increase from 26 to 46. The ABLE Act has been around for more...

A Bitter Pill: Medicare Costs in 2026

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the 2026 premium and deductible figures. It’s a familiar story, as those costs are up again. The standard Medicare Part B premium will raise eyebrows and blood pressure as it increases by $17.90 a...

From the Horse’s Mouth: SSA Commissioner Delivers 2025 Fiscal Report

Gues what? It’s all good. On November 20 Frank Bisignano, Social Security’s Commissioner, published his letter to Congress detailing the agency’s achievements in 2025. The letter, which you can read in full here (Commissioner Letter to Congress: Year in Review) begins...