Read our Latest Posts

Supermarket Weep: USDA’s 2025 Food Stamp Allotments

Jan 17, 2025

If there might be an advantage to conducting business that runs on a financial year of October to September it is that annual changes can be made without an unsuspecting clientele even being aware. This surely is the case for the US Department of Agriculture who...

Medicare Premiums to Rise in 2025

Nov 27, 2024

It was a couple of weeks ago now, but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the 2025 premium figures. It doesn't make for particularly happy reading as they're up again. The standard Medicare Part B premium will increase $10.30 a month on this...

SSA’s 2025 COLA Figures Announced!

Oct 23, 2024

2025’s Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) was recently published and there are some modest increases across the board. This year that means benefits are up 2.5%. In terms of how that looks to SSI recipients, it means that the Federal Benefit Rate (FBR) will rise to $967...

Meet the Boss: Social Security Commissioner Now on Social Media

Sep 27, 2024

In another step to making the Social Security Administration at least appear more amenable to its customers, the agency yesterday announced that its commissioner, erstwhile Maryland governor Martin O’Malley, can now be followed on a couple of social media platforms....

What Do You Know?: SSA Looks to Support Teachers

Sep 13, 2024

Perhaps in recognition of the fact that the rules around Social Security are plentiful and resolutely recondite the agency has taken advantage of the new school year to reach out to teachers and encourage them to educate their charges on the basics of SSA benefits....

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

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...