Effective January 1, 2024, New York State is waiving the citizenship/immigration requirements for Medicaid coverage for residents who are age 65 or older, as long as they meet all other eligibility criteria. Prior to this change, this population was only eligible for Medicaid to treat an emergency medical condition (also known as Emergency Medicaid).Coverage will only [...]

The 2023-24 New York State Budget created two new earned income disregard rules for Cash Assistance recipients.  In addition, the social services law was amended to require districts to approve participation in an educational and/or vocational training program, which includes, but is not limited to, a two-year post-secondary degree program. These new rules are detailed in [...]

Households now have the ability to lock their EBT card.  The lock feature will prevent benefits (Cash Assistance, SNAP, & HEAP), from being accessed, as well as prevent purchases, balance inquiries and most other transactions until the card is unlocked.The NYS Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance (OTDA) released this new feature as a tool to [...]

There is a 3.2% cost of living adjustment (COLA) to Social Security and SSI benefits for 2024.The following are the federal monthly SSI benefit amount for 2024:For an individual living alone: $943, plus the NYS supplement of $87, for a total of $1,030.For a couple living alone: $1,415, plus the NYS supplement of $104, for a [...]