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

Working Works: It’s Still National Disability Employment Awareness Month

by Charlie Hollins | October 22, 2026 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

One would like to imagine that it was a failing of this writer's observational powers rather than the lack of promotional ability of the organizers that, but for a fruitless quest for HP sauce* at a local Wegman’s I would not have known that this rapidly diminishing...

COLAs for 2027 Announced!

by Charlie Hollins | October 16, 2026 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

Social Security published its 2027 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) earlier this week. As is almost invariably the case monthly benefit payments will be higher, this year to the tune of 3.6%. For SSI recipients it means that the Federal Benefit Rate (FBR) will rise...

Goodnight, Virginia: SSA Closes VCU’s National Training Center

by Charlie Hollins | October 8, 2026 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

It was announced last Monday that the WIPA National Training and Data Center, would be shut down with immediate effect. The NTC, which was under the auspices of Virginia Commonwealth University, has been a primary source of training, education and support of Work...

In Exile: Impending Medicaid Eligibility Denials for Non-Citizens

by Charlie Hollins | September 17, 2026 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

Emma Lazarus’ 1883 sonnet ‘The New Colossus’ was written in the same year that she established in New York the Society for the Improvement and Colonization of East European Jews; an organization designed to provide aid to refugees escaping antisemitic violence and...

Education Matters: Maintaining Child’s Benefits at 18

by Charlie Hollins | September 11, 2026 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

Much to the dismay of students and teachers, another summer vacation has come and gone and one must again spend those long hours in the classroom looking wistfully out of the window as someone whitters on about some nonsense or other. For a small but significant...

In The Loop: SSA Changes Policy on Re-routing Calls

by Charlie Hollins | September 4, 2026 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

As anyone who has been obliged to call Social Security knows, the wait time has been prohibitively long. In the last year of the Biden administration the average wait was 60 minutes, which was bad enough, but in 2025 under the present regime that had increased to a...

An August Occasion: Celebrating National ABLE Savings Day

by Charlie Hollins | August 14, 2026 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

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

by Charlie Hollins | August 11, 2026 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

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

by Charlie Hollins | August 7, 2026 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

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

by Charlie Hollins | July 24, 2026 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

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...