Read our Latest Posts

Social Security Resource Limit – Get Around It If You’re ABLE

Nov 13, 2017

#ABLEtoSave If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits you are hopefully already aware that Social Security limits the amount of resources you can have in order to remain eligible for SSI benefits - $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for an eligible...

Wage Reporting Options for SSI Recipients

Nov 7, 2017

Reporting wages to Social Security in a timely manner is SO IMPORTANT for recipients of Supplemental Security Income or SSI benefits! Timely reporting is the best way to help prevent frustrating and costly benefit overpayments from occurring. Did you know there are...

2018 COLA Adjustments

Oct 30, 2017

2018 Brings Changes to Benefit and Work Incentive Amounts! The Social Security Administration has announced important cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for 2018. Social Security and SSI beneficiaries will see a 2.0 percent increase to benefit amounts effective...

NEW – Online Wage Reporting for SSDI Beneficiaries!

Oct 23, 2017

On September 23rd, 2017 the Social Security Administration announced a new option to report wages for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries. To date, individuals who receive SSDI benefits and their Representative Payees could only report wages by...

Pay Your Medicare Premiums Online!

Aug 23, 2017

Most individuals who receive a cash benefit from Social Security and have Medicare are able to have Medicare premiums automatically deducted from their monthly benefit. However, for those who no longer receive a cash benefit, making Medicare premium payments just got...

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

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...