PathWays PA Policy Blog

Last year, the Social Security Administration stated that it wants to change eligibility rules for disability benefits. Under the proposal, SSA would add 2.6 million eligibility reviews in the next ten years. They would also establish a new eligibility category. Currently, when someone qualifies for disability, they end up in one of three categories :  Medical improvement expected (reviewed every 6-18 months) Medical improvement not expected (reviewed every 5-7 years) Medical improvement possible (reviewed every 3 years) The Social Security Administration proposes adding a new category, "medical improvement likely," which is expected to include 4.4 million recipients. Many of these recipients will be children and people aged 50-65 with poor health and no income. If placed in this category, people will get reviews every two years. Navigating the disability process, including reviews, is already challenging . The process can take 2-3 years in some cases, and pe...

Several government agencies are proposing regulations that you can comment on. Let the federal government know what you think! SNAP (food stamps) - Federal law currently requires that childless adults can only receive three months of food assistance over a three year period unless they can document working at least 20 hours per week. However, states can waive these rules in times of high unemployment. New USDA rules would eliminate those waivers, ending SNAP for about 755,000 adults.  Take Action:  Feeding America, the Food Research & Action Center, the Center for American Progress, and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities are helping coordinate a campaign to oppose the rule. For additional resources and details about the campaign, please visit http://bit.ly/SNAPRuleCampaign . Social Security - The Social Security Administration is proposing a rule change that would eliminate "inability to communicate in English" from the list of categories considered whe...