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MGH Community News |
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MGH Community News |
| December 2021 | Volume 25 • Issue 12 |
Highlights
Sections Social Service staff may direct resource questions to the Community Resource Center, Hannah Perry, 617-726-8182. Questions, comments about the newsletter? Contact Ellen Forman, 617-726-5807. |
ERAP and RAFT Changes for 2022 The Mass Department of Housing and Community Development recently shared an update about impending policy changes for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) and the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program. These changes will go live on January 1, 2022 and are being made to preserve our resources as long as possible, direct funds to most vulnerable households that have not yet been assisted by our programs, and streamline processes at the Regional Administering Agencies (RAAs).
Reminders ERAP can cover both rental arrearages and future rent stipends for qualified applicants. All arrearages must be from after March 2020.
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SHERA allows qualifying affordable housing properties to submit bulk applications for multiple tenants at once, expediting payments and transferring substantial burden for the application from tenants to landlords. SHERA can cover rental arrears accrued any time since April 2020. Please note the new Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) program is live and accepting applications (see accompanying story), and the ERMA program will phase out. Advocate Information Sessions DHCD will be hosting two training sessions on the ERAP/RAFT Policy Updates for Community Based Organizations on Wednesday, January 12th at 3 pm and Thursday, January 13th at 9:30 am. The 75-minute sessions will provide an overview of the ERAP/RAFT policy updates and include time for Q&A. Please sign up for a session by clicking the links below. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar:
Staffing DHCD continues to onboard additional staff at the regional agencies and central RAP Center as we see a sustained high demand for our programs. DHCD been funding eviction-related legal aid to low-income individuals as part of EDI since late 2020, serving approximately 4,500 individuals and families through November 2021. As of January 1, 2022, DHCD will continue to provide eviction-related legal services to tenants and landlords, on a more limited basis. The seven regional legal aid organizations that have participated since 2020 will continue to provide services, and as of January 1 they will be joined by Housing Families, Inc., based in Malden. The website www.evictionlegalhelp.org will soon be updated and will remain live in 2022 with links to legal information and directions for households on where to request legal aid. Advocates who have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Nate Kerr, nathaniel.kerr@mass.gov. - From Eviction Diversion Initiative Newsletter, December 2021, Nathaniel Kerr, (OCD), DHCD, December 16, 2021. More information: CommonWealth Magazine
PFML Maximum Benefits Increase for 2022 Effective January 1, 2022, there will be improvements to the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (MA PFML) benefit. Everyone will experience lower per-paycheck deductions and for those who take a leave of absence starting in 2022, a higher maximum benefit will apply. Increased maximum benefit The state Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) has announced an increase in the weekly maximum benefit to $1,084.31/week for people who start a leave of absence on January 1, 2022 or later. Individuals who begin leaves of absence on or before December 31, 2021 will continue to receive the $850 weekly maximum benefit through the duration of the leave. For example, if your leave begins on December 28, 2021 and continues into January 2022, your maximum benefit amount remains at $850/week. However, if you begin a leave in 2021, but have an extension of this leave approved in 2022, you will be subject to the 2022 maximum benefit. * *Information is based on current guidance provided by the state. - Excerpted from 2022 Massachusetts Paid Family Medical Leave updates: Lower contributions and increased maximum benefit, Ask My HR, December 22, 2021.
The New Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) Explained As reported last month (New Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) – RAFT and ERMA Will No Longer Offer Mortgage Assistance, MGH Community News, November 2021) the state is launching a new fund for homeowners who are behind on their mortgage due to COVID-related financial issues. HAF replaces ERMA (Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance) and RAFT will not longer offer assistance with mortgage payments. Applications for mortgage assistance submitted to ERMA or RAFT since December 1 will be forwarded to HAF. The program is undergoing a soft roll-out and here’s what we know so far. HAF provides one-time financial assist to MA homeowners who are behind on their mortgage payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligibility
Benefit Note that this raises questions about what is the optimal time to apply. The later one applies, the more benefit they may receive and, as one can apply only one-time, there may be an argument to wait as long as possible to apply. However there is a potential risk that the program might run out of money if one waits too long. There are additional factors to consider, as well including whether one is in foreclosure proceedings. HAF cannot fund for expected delinquencies or amounts owed not related to COVID/arrearages from prior to January 21, 2020, but previous delinquencies do NOT make one ineligible for repayment of subsequent/COVID related delinquencies. Eligible Uses of HAF Funds HAF funds include, but are not limited to:
Complete an online pre-screen and then if found likely eligible, complete the full online application. There is not an option to apply via a paper application. One must apply through portal, but applicants may contact the call-center for assistance to complete online (able to assist in English and 7 other languages). For additional assistance call 833-270-2953 Monday through Saturday, 8 am – 7pm. Note you may submit photos of required documentation. More Information
SSA is Reopening SSI Claims Denied Due to Receipt of COVID Disaster Assistance; Claimants May Need to Contact SSA to Request Review The Social Security Administration (SSA) published a new Emergency Message, EM-20168, Instructions for Reopening and Reevaluating SSI Claims Denied due to COVID-19 Disaster Assistance, on December 9, 2021. SSA is now reopening hundreds of thousands of applications for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits that they previously denied from March 2020 to the present where they may have denied an SSI claim because the agency initially counted pandemic-related financial assistance. SSA later decided those payments should be excluded as disaster assistance for SSI purposes. While some cases will be automatically reviewed, other cases will need to be brought to the agency’s attention in order to correct errors. Advocates assisting clients with denials can take proactive steps to identify potential cases and contact SSA to request a review. Read our new Practice Tip for more information. Excerpts from SSI-Claims-Denial-Practice-Tip-1: SSA has identified approximately 144,000 individuals who will be mailed an outreach mailer between November 29 and December 23 instructing them to contact SSA so an employee can reevaluate whether they are eligible for SSI, including retroactive benefits. There is no deadline by which individuals who receive an outreach mailer must contact SSA—these cases may remain reopened indefinitely until resolved.
SSA will not be sending a copy of the outreach mailer to any representative who submitted a Form 1696 to enter their appearance on a client’s SSI application that was denied from March 2020 to the present. In addition, SSA will not resume communication with the prior representative without a new authorization from the SSI claimant, including updated representation forms. - From Information for Advocates Assisting Clients with SSI Claim Denials, NCLER, December 22, 2021.
Social Security Survivors Benefits Resources In the event of your death, certain members of your family may be eligible for Social Security survivors’ benefits. These include widows and widowers, divorced widows and widowers, children, and dependent parents. The amount of benefits your survivors receive depends on your lifetime earnings. The higher your earnings, the higher their benefits. That’s why it’s important to make sure your earnings history is correct in our records. That starts with creating your personal my Social Security account. A my Social Security account is secure and gives you immediate access to your earnings records, Social Security benefit estimates, and a printable Social Security Statement. The Statement will let you see an estimate of the survivors benefits we could pay your family. Please visit our website or read our publication, Survivors Benefits, for more information. - See the full SSA blog post.
Biden Extends Student Loan Payment Freeze Through May 1 President Biden announced this week that pandemic relief for about 41 million federal student loan borrowers will be extended once again until May 1. Loan payments, interest accruals and collections of defaulted federal student loans have all been on hold since the start of the pandemic — first thanks to the CARES Act, then due to extensions from former President Donald Trump, former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and President Biden. "We know that millions of student loan borrowers are still coping with the impacts of the pandemic and need some more time before resuming payments," President Biden wrote in a statement. The statement urged borrowers to prepare for repayments to resume. Before Wednesday's announcement, payments were set to resume in February of 2022. In a survey, nearly half (49%) of about 500 borrowers felt "not at all confident" they would be able to make their student loan payments come Feb. 1, according to research from the progressive group Data for Progress. Whenever loan payments resume, many experts say the process will be quite messy, given so many back and forths with borrowers. Even a 2020 report from the Education Department noted the resumption of payments would be messy. Loan servicers and the federal government, the report says, will "face a heavy burden in 'converting' millions of borrowers to active repayment." The transition could also be confusing to borrowers, with some "becoming delinquent, at least initially." The more than 7 million borrowers currently in default may have the hardest time once loan payments resume. "Defaulted borrowers are really balancing on the edge of a knife here," says Pierce, "their financial circumstances are much more fraught than a typical student loan borrower." Borrowers in default are more likely to be low-income, people of color, have some college and no degree, or work in low-wage jobs. Borrowers in default lose access to income-based repayment plans and can have their tax refund or paychecks garnished by the government. Older borrowers can even lose part of their Social Security checks. Now, those penalties won't resume for these borrowers for another 90 days. - See the full WBUR story.
Fuel Assistance Benefits Increase Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP (Fuel Assistance), benefit limits have been increased. Benefits vary by heating source (e.g., oil/propane, electricity/gas) and by household income level. For the lowest-income households who use oil to heat, the new benefit level is $1650. Right now, the fuel assistance program is paying about $2.80/gallon, so the $1650 would buy almost 600 gallons of oil. This is enough to get many households through much of the winter (into late February/sometime in March), especially if the home/apartment is weatherized and not large. See the updated income eligibility and benefits level chart (benefits appear in the bottom half of the table). - Adapted from [utility network] MA increases benefit levels for fuel assistance, up to $1650 for lowest-income households, Charlie Harak, National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), December 22, 2021.
Executive Order Commits Federal Agencies to Improving Customer Service President Biden this month signed an Executive Order on “Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government.” The Executive Order makes specific commitments to improve customer experience and creates a cross-government service delivery process that aligns critical services at key points in people’s lives, including turning 65. The Administration is also committed to assessing and publicly reporting performance delivery and incorporating customer feedback. Excerpts:
- From DC: Build Back Better, new COVID-19 Analysis, new Federal Effort to Improve Customer Service and More, Justice in Aging, December 17, 2021.
As 3G Dies Medical, Security and Car Safety Devices Could Also Shut Down When millions of obsolete mobile phones stop working next year, they’ll have plenty of company. In 2022, the nation’s wireless carriers will shut down their 3G data networks to make room for better 4G and 5G services. The transition will affect not only phones, but also countless other devices that rely on 3G data links — home security systems, medical alert devices for senior citizens, the driver assistance systems inside many cars, and even the ankle bracelets used by law enforcement agencies to keep track of parolees. But many consumers are unaware that their gadgets could stop working sometime next year — in some cases, as soon as February 22. That’s when AT&T, a major provider of network services for devices other than phones, plans to switch off its 3G system once and for all. “There will be hundreds of thousands of seniors and millions of homes and businesses without security and fire protection, period, on February 23rd,” said Daniel Oppenheim, president of the Medical Alert Monitoring Association. Oppenheim’s trade group, as well as a consortium of home security system makers and an organization of major automakers have all asked the Federal Communications Commission to delay AT&T’s 3G shutdown until December 31, 2022, the same date when Verizon will switch off its 3G service. They say this will give their industries enough time to complete the transition to 4G devices. The nation’s third major wireless company, T-Mobile, has a much smaller share of the 3G market than AT&T and Verizon, according to wireless analyst Jason Leigh of IDC Corp. T-Mobile, which acquired rival carrier Sprint in 2020, has said that it will shut down Sprint’s 3G network on March 31, and the T-Mobile 3G network on July 1. AT&T doesn’t want to delay its transition to 5G. The company has told the FCC that it gave wireless users ample warning of 3G’s demise back in 2019, so they’d have ample time to get ready. But home security and medical device companies that rely on 3G say the COVID pandemic crippled their upgrade strategy, by making it far more difficult to send technicians to homes and businesses to install new devices. In addition, the ongoing global microchip shortage means they can’t obtain replacement devices fast enough. Nobody knows exactly how many devices will be impacted by the death of 3G. The Medical Alert Monitoring Association estimates that about 6 million people relied on 3G monitoring devices as of 2020. Since that time, said Oppenheim, member companies such as LifeStation and Medical Guardian have been scrambling to provide upgraded 4G devices to their subscribers. IDC’s Leigh says that every consumer or business owner who relies on wireless service for their cars, security alarms, or medical devices should check with the manufacturer to find out if they’re 3G-dependent, and make arrangements for an upgrade. “It’s worth everybody just taking a pause to say, do I have these devices?” Leigh said. - See the full Boston Globe article.
Somerville-Cambridge Little Necessities Program Little Necessities is a locally funded program that gives Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) the flexibility to meet essential needs that are not covered by government programs; a new mattress after a bedbug infestation; a microwave for someone who can no longer cook due to memory loss; or a gift card to purchase emergency groceries are just a few examples of how Little Necessities provides help The Little Necessities program provided assistance for more than 140 older Somerville and Cambridge residents over the past year. - From Cambridge Trust pledges $5,000 to support Little Necessities, Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services, December 10, 2021.
Medicaid 2022 Spousal Impoverishment and Home Equity Figures Released The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its Spousal Impoverishment Standards and home equity limits for 2022. They are:
More information can be found at 2022 Spousal Impoverishment and Home Equity Figures Released (elderlawanswers.com) - From Margolis & Bloom Attorneys Named to Boston Magazine's Top Lawyers and Super Lawyers, Margolis & Bloom, December 8, 2021.
Mental Health Beds Cut Amid Staffing Shortages More than 350 beds in psychiatric facilities have been eliminated amid staffing shortages in the state’s behavioral health system, according to a new report. Much of the problem has to do with a lack of staffing, the report’s authors noted, with 362 psychiatric beds taken off-line. Under state and federal healthcare guidelines, hospitals cannot use psychiatric beds when there isn’t enough professional staff to oversee them. But the bed shortages have contributed to the number of people “boarding” in hospital emergency rooms waiting for a spot in a state-licensed psychiatric facility. The association’s report found that 96% of 56 hospitals responding to the survey reported nurse shortages; 78% reported shortages in mental health workers; 67% reported shortages in social workers and nursing assistants; and 63% reported shortages in psychiatrists. Leigh Simons Youmans, the association’s senior director of healthcare policy, said recent surveys of mental health professionals suggest there is a “ruptured pipeline” of workers in the state amid concerns about safety and a lack of incentives to enter the field. “But a major concern is lack of competitive pay, for these workers across all skill levels, due to the chronic under reimbursement of mental health services,” she said. On Beacon Hill, state leaders are gearing up to devote a sizable amount of money and resources to expanding access to mental health services. On the last Monday November there were 576 patients — including 136 children — awaiting beds in psychiatric facilities across Massachusetts, according to the hospital association. - See the full Gloucester Times article.
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