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Mental Health Concerns? Just Dial 988 for Help

Jul 14, 2022

From this Saturday July 16 anyone in the US experiencing mental health distress can simply call or text the number 988 to get connected with a trained counselor. A suicide prevention hotline has been around for 17 years now but the current number (1-800-273-8255) has...

P- EBT Payments May Be on Their Way Soon

Jun 24, 2022

Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfers (P-EBT) have been around since 2020 and is a program to help families with children pay for food when the youngsters are not in school. The system was set up to provide retroactive payment to any kids who missed school due to any...

Requesting a Social Security Card? SSA Have a New Option

Jun 17, 2022

A recent Social Security update highlighted another on-line screening tool that you can use to find out the best way to apply for a new or replacement Social Security card. By visiting this page Social Security Number and Card | SSA you can now reportedly establish...

EID to Scrap Income and Resource Limits!

Jun 17, 2022

In what must be hailed as an inspired move the Maryland Department of Health recently announced some groundbreaking changes to the Employed Individuals with Disabilities (EID) program. At present any working Marylander who has a disability can become eligible for EID...

Project Home: CARE in the Community

Jun 3, 2022

There being no evident Social Security updates yet for June we’re going to have a look at a state-run project that provides a housing option for individuals with disabilities. Project Home, also known as the Certified Adult Residential Environment (CARE) project, or...

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No Going Back: Medicaid Retroactive Eligibility Span Reduced

The Budget Reconciliation Act of 2025 has provided this blog with a seemingly ceaseless font of bad news stories. Here’s another one. Currently someone applying for Medicaid can get retroactive coverage for up to three months prior to the date of application as long...

Working It Out: SNAP Eligibility Changes and Maryland’s Response

The current administration’s legislation on changes to work requirements for SNAP recipients are now in force and beneficiaries are feeling the effects. H.R.1’s new rules require non-exempt adults aged between 18 and 64 to show proof of employment, volunteering or job...

Centralized Planning: SSA Announces Administrative Changes to Disability Reviews

In a press release from last week Social Security made it known that they are in the process of transitioning how Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR) will be conducted. If you receive SSDI or SSI you’ll probably be aware that, unless you have a Ticket to Work in use...

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...