Youth and Young Adults

The Maryland Benefits Counseling Network understands the unique challenges and questions that transitioning aged youth may experience related to public benefits. There are often questions related to being a student, health insurance, and living with parents. Below is information about the most common situations that arise; however, we recommend that you speak with a certified benefits counselor to discuss your unique situation.

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Are you a student receiving SSI who wants to work?

Spotlight on Student Earned Income Exclusion

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Are you receiving SSI as a child’s benefit?

Age 18 Benefits Check-UP & SSI Age 18 Redetermination

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Are you receiving SSI as a child’s benefit and participating in an employment program?

Section 301 Factsheet

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Wondering how you can save money for college?

Saving for Post-Secondary Education

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What benefit concerns should I have when transitioning to adult benefits?

Social Security Benefits Issues Affecting Transition Age Youth

SSA Reveals Service Plan during the Federal Government Shutdown

by Charlie Hollins | October 1, 2025 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

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

by Charlie Hollins | September 19, 2025 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

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

by Charlie Hollins | September 12, 2025 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

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

by Charlie Hollins | August 29, 2025 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

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!

by Charlie Hollins | August 15, 2025 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

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

by Charlie Hollins | August 14, 2025 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

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

by Charlie Hollins | August 8, 2025 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

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

by Charlie Hollins | August 1, 2025 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

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...

Salt in the Wound: OBBBA and Cuts to Medicaid for Non- Citizens

by Charlie Hollins | July 24, 2025 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

Further to our recent blog on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and its plan to cut Medicaid funding, here’s some more bad news brought to you by your government. This time the target is Non-Citizens. At present there are some severe limitations to eligibility...

Stopped Check: SSA to Eliminate Paper Payments to Beneficiaries

by Charlie Hollins | July 18, 2025 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

These days if you are to order a new batch of checks you are given a choice of designs for the background and can even select a personal message line. You may notice, however, that the choices appear to skew towards appealing to an older demographic. One recent option...