Public Benefits

Congress has temporarily extended the federal government’s largest grant program that helps states transfer people with disabilities from institutions into independent living arrangements.

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued regulations clarifying that people who have to take time off work to care for family members with disabilities may be eligible for the new paid sick leave protections enacted by Congress.

The Department of Health and Human Services will now give states the option to obtain a portion of their federal Medicaid funding via so-called "block grants," although beneficiaries with disabilities should not be directly affected.

With the Student Earned Income Exclusion, students on SSI may be able to earn additional income without jeopardizing their eligibility for benefits. ...

New federal regulations set to take effect April 1, 2020, may make it significantly harder for many with disabilities to obtain food stamps. The new rules do not include any analysis of their potential impacts on people with disabilities.

Student loan officials from seven states and the District of Columbia are calling on the federal government to automatically discharge the student loan debt of people with disabilities who are eligible. ...

To protect its workers and the public during the coronavirus pandemic, the Social Security Administration has suspended face-to-face service at its field and hearings offices, although people with severe disabilities can still get appointments.

Unless the IRS determines that Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients don't need to file a tax return to receive stimulus checks as part of the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill, millions could see their checks delayed or never receive them at...

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act contains little relief specifically for people with disabilities, and one provision in the bill could actually compromise the rights of special education students during the pandemic.  ...