Pennsylvania County Assistance Offices may be able to give families some money to get by while they can’t work because of the coronavirus crisis. Instead of getting ongoing cash assistance, families temporarily out of work may be able to get “diversion” payments. Diversion payments are one, two, or three months’ worth of regular cash assistance,…
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the U.S. workforce, leading to record levels of unemployment. While some people will return to work in the coming months, many workers with disabilities may remain out of the workforce indefinitely. Older workers with disabilities were thirty percent more likely to lose their jobs during the Great Recession than the…
Following a few days of national outcry, the IRS reversed course on Wednesday, April 1, 2020, and announced that Social Security recipients who do not usually file taxes will receive stimulus payments under the CARES Act automatically. The IRS’s decision should be celebrated, but it doesn’t go far enough. Three million seniors and people with…
YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR FOOD STAMPS (SNAP), MEDICAID (MA), CASH ASSISTANCE (TANF) OR HEATING BILL ASSISTANCE (LIHEAP). If you need to apply for benefits, please apply online through Compass or call Benephilly: 844-848-4376. The County Assistance Offices are closed to the public, but they are accepting applications. If you already receive these benefits, but…
A court order has delayed the start of a new rule for food stamps that would have left thousands without benefits. On Friday, March 13, the U.S. District Court for D.C. issued a nationwide injunction stopping the new waiver criteria – i.e. the SNAP time limit rule for ABAWDs – from taking effect. This is…
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has published a new rule that could cause immigrants and limited English proficient people with disabilities to be denied vital income supports. Previously, SSA considered a person with a disability’s ability to communicate in English when evaluating whether they were able to work, and thus qualify for disability benefits. With…
Good news: a court has put a halt to the ABAWDs rule change. The rule will not be going into effect April 1. Please check back for more information. View the “Understanding the New SNAP Time Limit“ webinar for free! Starting April 1, 2020, over 35,000 Philadelphians – and over 90,000 Pennsylvanians — will be…
NEW: Everything you need to know about this harmful proposed rule The Social Security Administration just announced that it wants to change its rules for people who get disability benefits, including SSI. Most people would have to prove disability every two years. If Social Security moves forward with this proposal more than two million people will…
Learn how to apply for SSI and appeal if your application is denied. In 11 languages. English Should I Apply for SSI? What Should I Do If I Get Turned Down for SSI? Español (Spanish) (¿Debería solicitar el SSI? ¿Qué debo hacer si me rechazan la solicitud del SSI? 中文 (Simplified Chinese) 我是否应该申请补充社会安全金 (SSI)？如果我申请补充社会安全金 (SSI)被拒绝，该怎么办？ Tiếng…
Today we observe the passage of “welfare reform” on August 22, 1996, which “ended welfare as we know it” and created the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Far from a success, this program has eviscerated needed direct financial assistance for struggling families. As we wrote in 2016, the program is helping far fewer…
