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BPQYs Lose IRS Records of Yearly Earnings

Mar 26, 2021

A significant change has been made to the Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) with the deletion of the 'IRS Recorded Earnings (Yearly)' section. The change has been caused by a new regulation that mandates that a fee must be charged to gain the IRS information. In an act...

Still Waiting on Your Stimulus Checks? Consider the Rebate Recovery Credit

Mar 19, 2021

The IRS have issued the second wave of stimulus checks, officially known as Economic Impact Payments (EIP), and are in the process of delivering a third in the amount of up to $1,400 to eligible individuals and families. If you feel you've missed out or didn't...

Social Security Seeking to ‘Slam the Scam’

Mar 3, 2021

As part of National Consumer Protection Week the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration, Gail Ennis, has announced the second annual 'Slam the Scam' day, which is set for March 4. Whilst there's likely to be an absence of cake or fireworks to...

RELIEF Act 2021: A Shot in the Arm for Struggling Marylanders

Feb 18, 2021

Maryland's Governor Hogan has just signed into effect the RELIEF Act 2021 which will provide much needed extra financial assistance to local working residents who have limited incomes. The $1 billion plus package will be providing direct payments of $300 to...

SNAP Happy: An Update for Food Stamp Recipients

Feb 4, 2021

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has had a few significant updates in recent weeks and they are positive for food stamp recipients in Maryland and around the country. It was just over a year ago, on January 27, 2020, that a public health emergency...

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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...