If you are low income or receive any kind of public benefits, you may qualify for a discount on either cell phone or home internet service through the federal Lifeline program. Find out more below. Download the flyer with this information here Frequently Asked Questions About the Lifeline Program What is the Lifeline program? Lifeline…
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…
Coronavirus affects us all. We all need to be able to get care so that we, our families, and our communities are healthy and strong. It is safe to get Medical Assistance if you qualify so that you can protect your health during this crisis. What is Medical Assistance? Medical Assistance is a free health…
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…
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…
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…
This afternoon, Community Legal Services (CLS) and Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP) filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of almost 12,000 low-income Pennsylvanians who will lose their only source of income once the General Assistance program ends. The Pennsylvania residents who will lose this vital support are people with disabilities, people fleeing domestic violence, people completing treatment…
Community Legal Services has a proven track record of helping low-income families access significant public benefits that help them feed, house and get medical care for their children. Regulations regarding the receipt of public benefits are often so complex and difficult that a lawyer is required to correctly interpret and apply them. While a social worker can help a family fill out an application for benefits, it usually takes an attorney to appeal an incorrectly denied application, or to interpret how to access the appropriate level of benefits. For instance, a family may appear to be over the income level for a benefit, but they may not have used the appropriate deductions that would allow them to qualify for it. Because of CLS’ in-depth knowledge and our ability to advocate with public agencies, CLS often obtains successful outcomes for our clients.
