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Job Vacancy Announcement – Benefits Case Manager

Aug 4, 2017

Job Vacancy Announcement - Benefits Case Manager The Maryland Benefits Counseling Network is excited to announce that recruitment for a full-time contractual Benefits Case Manager position has begun! Please see the detailed position announcement below. Interested...

Social Security Administration 2017 Red Book

May 31, 2017

The Social Security Administration's Red Book is now available for 2017!The Red Book (SSA Publication No. 64-030) serves as a general guide to Social Security work incentives and employment supports of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental...

Maryland’s 2017 1619(b) Threshold decreases from 2016.

Feb 19, 2017

This is the second year in a row the 1619(b) threshold has fallen for Maryland residents. The 2017 1619(b) threshold is $40,005 per year. See the following Social Security Policy link for more information. https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0502302200

CMS Announces 2017 Medicare Part A & Part B Changes

Nov 14, 2016

Although premiums and deductibles for Medicare Part A & B won't be changing for approximately 70% of beneficiaries there will be some changes for the remaining 30%. Please see the press release on the CMS website for more information. ...

Social Security Announces 2017 COLA Changes

Oct 18, 2016

Social Security has announcement the Cost of Living Adjustment changes for 2017. There will be a 0.3% increase in benefits, an increase in the TWP & SGA levels and an increase in the SSI Federal Benefit Rate. See the following fact sheet for more details....

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An August Occasion: Celebrating National ABLE Savings Day

This year August 14 marks, amongst other notable events, the 236th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Väräla which brought about an end to the Russo-Swedish War; exactly 124 years later the arrival of British Expeditionary Force in France saw the beginning of...

Priority Treatment: SSA Adds to the Compassionate Allowance List

A fresh press release from Social Security will provide some good news to potential beneficiaries who experience a range of disabilities. Fourteen relatively obscure conditions have been added to the agency’s Compassionate Allowance policy. The policy allows Social...

Won’t Get Food Again: SNAP Eligibility in Decline

Recent articles in The Atlantic and by NPR have highlighted the growing concern in the reduction in the number of food stamp beneficiaries over the past year. The current figure, as estimated by the Department of Agriculture, stands at around 37 million recipients,...

Hear Ye, Hear Ye: Social Security Adds New Features to MySSA Accounts

A recent press release from Social Security looked to encourage applicants who have found themselves having to appeal a denial to use a My Social Security account when working through that process. Evidently very keen on getting you on board, the agency has produced a...

Summer Break: Maryland’s SUN Bucks Program

Originally launched by Governor Wes Brown back in 2024 Maryland’s Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program, which trades under the SUN Bucks title, is back for another year. SUN Bucks is the state’s provision to allow eligible families with children aged between 5...

Food Security: New EBT Cards Coming Soon!

Maryland’s Department of Human Resources announced last week that they would be rolling out new Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards as part of a modernization plan designed to ward off food stamp thievery. The new cards will have the same capabilities as regular...

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...