An Advocate's Guide to Emergency Aid to Elders, Disabled and Children in Massachusetts

210 Pages·2017·2.09 MB·English

EAEDC
Advocacy
Guide
An Advocate's Guide to
Emergency Aid to Elders, Disabled
and Children in Massachusetts
Marion Hohn, Central West Justice Center,
Patricia Baker, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and
Laura Gallant, Northeast Justice Center
September 2017 Edition

EAEDC
Advocacy
Guide
An Advocate's Guide to
Emergency Aid to Elders, Disabled
and Children in Massachusetts
Marion Hohn, Central West Justice Center,
Patricia Baker, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and
Laura Gallant, Northeast Justice Center
September 2017 Edition
MLRIextends its thanks the LawOfficeofRonaldB.Eskinforsupportingproductionof
this 2017Guide:
Ronald B. Eskin, Esquire
228 Central Street, Lowell MA 01852
Tel. [phone]
Toll Free: 888-526-7734
Fax: [phone]
www.eskinlawoffice.com
©2017byMassachusetts LawReform InstituteandMassachusetts Continuing
Legal Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Permissiontoreprint must beobtainedfrom both theMassachusetts LawReform
InstituteandMassachusetts ContinuingLegal Education, Inc.
LibraryofCongress CardNumber: 2180275B05
ISBN: 1-68345-054-X
LCCN: 2017952896
EAEDC Advocacy Guide
AboutMassachusetts Law ReformInstitute
TheMassachusetts Law Reform Instituteis astatewidelegal advocacyand
support center. Ourmissionis torepresent low-incomepeople,elders, and
disabledpeopleintheirstruggle forbasichuman needs, todefendagainst policies
andactions that harm andmarginalizepeoplelivinginpoverty, andtoadvocate
forsystemicreforms that achievesocial andeconomicjustice.Ouractivities
includeadvice,litigation,policyanalysis, research,technical assistanceand
publicinformation.
Acknowledgments
MLRIthanks legal services andlayadvocates forlow-incomepeoplein
Massachusetts whohelp EAEDC applicants andrecipients obtainthebenefits to
whichtheyareentitledandwhoworktomakeEAEDC abetterprogram forpoor
families andindividuals.
This 2017Guidewas updatedbyMarionHohnof Central West JusticeCenter.
Theoriginal 2008Guide was writtenbyPatricia Baker,SeniorPolicyAnalyst,
oftheMassachusetts LawReform Institute,and LauraGallant,onloanto MLRI
from thenNeighborhood Legal Services of Lynn. Special thanks toGaleHalpern
forhertechnical assistancewiththe2008 Guide and LenaWilson forher
assistancewiththis 2017Guide.
MLRIis grateful toAttorneyRonEskin,Attorney, Marianne LeBlanc,andthe
Mass Legal Services websiteproject fortheirsupport ofthe2017EAEDC
AdvocacyGuide.
September2017

Table of Contents
Introduction...............................................................................................................1
Part 1 Categorical Eligibility...............................................................................5
1. Whocanget EAEDC?..................................................................................................5
2. Howdisableddo Ihavetobetoreceivebenefits?.......................................................5
3. Howdo Iprove Iam disabled?.....................................................................................6
4. What if Ihavealreadybeenapproved forSSI/SSDIorMassHealthDisability?.........7
5. WhocansigntheEAEDC medical report?..................................................................8
6. What aretheother rules about themedical report?......................................................9
7. Howcan Ipayformedical exams toprovemyeligibility?........................................10
8. What is theDisabilitySupplement andwhosigns it?................................................11
9. Will anyonehelpme get all themedical information Ineedtoprovemy
eligibility?...................................................................................................................13
10. Do Ihavetowait longforDTAtoreviewmydisabilityinformation?......................13
11. What is theDisabilityEvaluationService(DES)?.....................................................14
12. What medical informationmust DES gather andconsider?.......................................15
13. Howdoes DES evaluate mydisability?......................................................................17
14. What aretheEAEDC "medical standards" andSSI"listings"?.................................17
15. What ifmyimpairments donot meet theEAEDC standards orSSIlistings?...........18
16. Howdoes DES decideif mycondition affects myabilitytodobasicwork
activities (Step1)?......................................................................................................20
17. Howdoes the "sedentarywork"test applytophysical impairments (Step2)?..........21
18. What is theGridandhowis it used(Step3)?............................................................23
19. If Icandomorethansedentarywork andtheGridsays Iam disabled,how
does DES assess mydisability(Step4)?....................................................................24
20. What happens if Ihave a mental impairment?...........................................................25
21. Howoftendo Ihavetoprovedisability?....................................................................28
22. Do IhavetoapplyforSSI?........................................................................................29
23. What iftheDisabilityEvaluationServicedecides Iam not disabled?.......................29
24. Can IqualifyforEAEDC as aMass.RehabilitationCommission(MRC)
participant?.................................................................................................................30
25. Can IqualifyforEAEDC if Iam neededto careforsomeoneinmyhome?.............31
26. Can IqualifyforEAEDC if Iam 65 years ofage orolder?.......................................32
27. Whichfamilies can get EAEDC?...............................................................................33
28. Do Ineedto get legal guardianshiporcustodyto get EAEDC for anunrelated
child?...........................................................................................................................34
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29. Iam aparent orchildwhois ineligibleforTAFDC becauseofmy
immigrationstatus, can Iget EAEDC?.......................................................................35
30. Aretherelow-income families orchildrenwhocannot get EAEDC?.......................36
31. Aretherework requirements forcaretakers of children?...........................................37
32. Can Iget EAEDC if Iam under18andlivingon myown?.......................................39
33. What if Ihaveanoutstandingdefault orarrest warrant?............................................39
34. What if Ihavea criminal historyor am fleeingprosecutionorpunishment?............40
Part 2 Other Eligibility Conditions...................................................................41
35. Arethereother eligibilityconditions Imust meet?....................................................41
36. What if Ijust arrivedinMassachusetts? Whatif Iam homeless?..............................41
37. What if Iam not a U.S.citizen?..................................................................................43
38. Do Ihavetoapplyforcitizenshipif Iam not acitizen?.............................................47
39. Do Ihavetohaveasocial securitynumber?..............................................................48
40. Do IhavetoapplyforVeterans'Services benefits?...................................................49
41. What otherbenefits do Ihavetoapplyfor?...............................................................50
42. Do IhavetoagreetorepayDTAforbenefits Ireceived?..........................................50
43. What aretheassistanceunit rules?.............................................................................51
Part 3 Financial Eligibility................................................................................53
44. What is financial eligibility?.......................................................................................53
45. What is thedifferencebetweenincome andassets?...................................................53
46. Whichassets count andwhichones donot?...............................................................54
47. Howdoes DTAtreat assets Ispent, gave awayor transferredtosomeone else?.......57
48. What if Iam expectingmoneyfrom anaccident orillness?......................................58
49. What incomeis not counted?......................................................................................59
50. What incomeis counted?............................................................................................60
51. Howdoes DTA count theincomeofaspouse?..........................................................61
52. Iam asponsorednoncitizen,is mysponsor's incomecounted?.................................61
53. What is in-kindincomeandwhendoes DTA count it?..............................................61
54. What is lumpsumincomeandwhyis it suchaproblem?..........................................63
55. Does DTAexcludeanymoneyfrom thelumpsum rule?..........................................64
56. What happens if Irunout ofmoneybeforethelumpsum timeis up?.......................66
57. Dogifts count as income?...........................................................................................67
58. Howdoes DTA figuremonthlyincome?....................................................................68
59. Howdoes EAEDC count earnedincome?..................................................................69
60. Howmuchincomecan Ihaveandstill get EAEDC?.................................................70
61. What aretheEAEDC “livingarrangements”and maximum grant amounts?............71
62. What will mygrant beif Ilivewithmyspouse?........................................................72
63. What if Iliveinarest home?......................................................................................73
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Part 4 Benefits....................................................................................................75
64. What arethebasicbenefits availabletoEAEDC recipients?.....................................75
65. DoEAEDC recipients get healthcoverage?...............................................................75
66. Whenwill Iget myEAEDC payments?.....................................................................77
67. What otherbenefits doEAEDC recipients get?.........................................................78
68. What ifDTAmakes amistakeandowes memoney?................................................79
69. Canpart ofmybenefits bepaiddirectlytomylandlordorutilitycompany?............79
70. Howwill Iget mybenefits—direct deposit orElectronicBenefits Transfer
(EBT)?........................................................................................................................81
71. What should Idoif IneedtoreplaceorchangemyEBTcard?.................................84
72. What aretherules about what Icanbuy?...................................................................86
Part 5 Applications and Proofs........................................................................89
73. Wheredo IapplyforEAEDC?...................................................................................89
74. What proofs do Ineed?...............................................................................................91
75. Howmuchtimedo Ihavetobringinproofs?............................................................95
76. Howshould Isendmyproofs?...................................................................................96
77. Howlongdoes it taketodecideif Iam eligible?.......................................................97
78. What if Ineedbenefits right away?............................................................................97
79. What ifadisabilitymakes it hardformetomeet DTArules oruseDTA
services?......................................................................................................................98
80. Howdo Iask DTAfor a reasonableaccommodation?.............................................100
81. What aremyrights ifDTAdenies myreasonable accommodationrequest?...........101
82. What if Idonot speak English?................................................................................102
83. Howcan Ifindout what is happeningwithmycaseandseemycase
information?..............................................................................................................103
84. Is myinformationkept confidential?........................................................................106
Part 6 Proving Continuing Eligibility.............................................................107
85. Howoftenwill myeligibilitybereviewed?.............................................................107
86. Whendo Ihavetoreport changes?...........................................................................109
Part 7 Appeal Rights........................................................................................111
87. What aremyrights ifDTAwon't givemebenefits, orreduces orstops my
benefits?....................................................................................................................111
88. Howmuchtimedo Ihavetoask fora fairhearing?................................................112
89. Howdo Iask forafairhearing?...............................................................................113
90. Ihavetheproofmyworkerwanted,should Istill ask forahearing?......................114
91. Howshould Ipresent mycaseat thehearing?.........................................................115
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92. Whenwill Iget adecisionandwhat should Idoif youlose?..................................118
93. Can Ifix problems without goingtoahearing?.......................................................118
Part 8 Overpayments and Fraud....................................................................121
94. What if Iam overpaid?.............................................................................................121
95. Do Ihavetorepayanunintentional program violation?..........................................121
96. What is anintentional program violation? What iswelfarefraud?..........................123
97. Whencanmybenefits be stoppedforanintentional program violation?................124
98. What should Idoif Iam contactedbythe Bureau ofSpecial Investigations
(BSI)?........................................................................................................................126
99. CanDTAcut mybenefits topayitselfback?...........................................................126
100. Howdoes DTA collect overpayments if Iam not receivingbenefits?.....................127
101. Can Igotojail? Will Ihavea criminal record?.......................................................128
Appendix A: EAEDC Medical Report Form..................................................129
Appendix B: EAEDC Disability Supplement...................................................143
Appendix C: DES Disability Tracking Form...................................................169
Appendix D: The Grid........................................................................................173
Appendix E: Authorization for Reimbursement of Interim Assistance........177
Appendix F: EAEDC Standards of Assistance................................................181
Appendix G: Request for an Appeal (Fair Hearing).......................................185
Appendix H: Department of Transition al Assistance Office Listings..........189
Appendix I: Massachusetts Legal Services Offices ........................................197
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