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. 978-937-1600 Toll Free: 888-526-7734 Fax: 978-937-9422 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 i 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 ii 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 iii 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 iv