Benefits -- general

DTA Local Office Contacts This directory includes address, phone, and fax information, as well as the names of the directors and assistant directors of each local office.  Note that this is current as of September 2024. There may have been changes since that time. To contact a…

MLRI's revised and simplified online calculator gives you the monthly SNAP benefits amount a household typically receives based on their countable income and expenses.  Go to the  Massachusetts  Online SNAP Calculator  For a paper worksheet and an Excel calculator,…

Follow the links below to view "at-a-glance" SNAP benefits charts with sample SNAP amounts for: households with older adults or persons with disabilities,  working families, and households receiving unemployment. And, here is a chart that helps advise older adults and…

Three ways to do the SNAP math for MA residents! 1. Online SNAP calculator: Here is a link to an online SNAP calculator that you can use right from your browser or mobile device, without downloading anything!  2. SNAP Excel calculator: You can download our…

Use the attached worksheet for  manual SNAP calculations. This worksheet is accurate starting October 1, 2024.   

For information about Summer EBT in Massachusetts, see this slide deck from MLRI. And, visit Mass.gov/SummerEBT DTA put Summer EBT on the SNAP DTA EBT card for families who were getting SNAP/DTA benefits when Summer EBT was issued. DTA mailed Summer EBT cards to families who were not getting…

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can help you and your family buy food at supermarkets, grocery stores, and farmers markets. If you are a rideshare or delivery driver - or another type of “gig” worker or self-employed worker - and you need food benefits, here’s what you need to…

Many low-income Massachusetts immigrants are eligible for federal SNAP food benefits. MLRI, Greater Boston Legal Services, and La Colaborativa have 2-page FAQs in English, Spanish, and Portuguese to share with your clients.    See the FeedingOurNeighborsMA.org resources page for…

Materials from the May 02, 2024 Income Maximization training gathered by Legal Services Center, GBLS, MLRI, presented as part of the MLRI/MCLE Basic Benefits Training series. Handouts Maximizing Income & Reducing Expenses BBT Training (pdf of slides) Income Maximation BBT Training…

1.    What is EAEDC? EAEDC stands for "Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children."  It is a cash benefit. 2.    Who can get EAEDC?  You can get EAEDC if you are: disabled; or caring for someone who is disabled; or 65 or…

MLRI knows that right now it can be very hard to reach DTA by phone. Click here for a list of tips from MLRI on how to get help if you can't get through the DTA Assistance Line.  How do I reach DTA? DTA has one main phone number called the DTA Assistance Line: …

The charts below set forth the annual, monthly and weekly 2024 Federal Poverty Guidelines (based on HHS thresholds).  In addition, the annual, monthly and weekly 115% of poverty, 125% of poverty,  187.5%, 200% of poverty and 300% of poverty amounts are listed. Finally, you can…

Below are the powerpoints and materials from the January 24, 2024 SNAP training, presented as part of the MLRI/MCLE Basic Benefits Training series. Advocates are also encouraged to review the MLRI SNAP Advocacy Guide also listed below. About the Faculty SNAP 101 Presentation Slides…

Materials from the December 04, 2023 Cash Assistance training, presented as part of the MLRI/MCLE Basic Benefits Training Series: Training Presentation Materials Agenda  Faculty Bios  TAFDC Cash Assistance Program 2023 Training (pdf of slides) TAFDC Basic Rules (pdf of…

The following chart provides an overview of the income and asset limits for common public benefits, healthcare, and housing assistance programs, and highlight rules regarding the treatment of lump sums from money damages payments and settlements. The chart is primarily intended for use by legal…

What is DTA Connect? DTA Connect is DTA’s mobile app and online portal to see case information for people who have applied for or get DTA benefits. DTA Connect.com also has an online SNAP application.   DTA Connect services are a great way for low income households and community…

This page describes an immigration policy called Public Charge. It is generally safe to get benefits you and your family are eligible for. See Q&As below. This information is not legal advice. If you have questions, contact an immigration attorney. To see which immigrants are eligible for…

EBT card users are having their SNAP and cash benefits stolen following skimming of their card information by thieves. Attached is a flyer describing the issue and sharing information about what victims can do - please feel free to distribute this flyer to your community partners.

On December 10th, the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office (AGO) issued guidance directing local food pantries to suspend practices where food pantry clients are asked for photo IDs or SSNs as a condition of getting emergency food. Attached is the AGO guidance. "The advisory recognizes…

The programs on the linked spreadshett are available to all Massachusetts residents regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Additional benefits are available to US citizens and non-citizens with an eligible immigration status. NOTE that none of the benefits that are available regardless…

The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is in charge of issuing Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients up to $150 for moving costs if they meet certain rules.                  Who is eligible for up to…

This report traces policies that take away basic assistance from families for not meeting work requirements back to practices that coerced and exploited the labor of Black families, going back to slavery.  To this day, racist myths underlie assumptions that people do not want to work, and need…

Click Go to Website to see the FAQ on public charge and deportation.

Thousands of MA community college and four-year college students do not have the resources to eat balanced meals while attending school. Over the last 10 years, Massachusetts has implemented a number of policies to qualify more low income students for SNAP,  But - NONE of the Massachusetts…

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) has compiled information on the federal government shutdown and specifically what is happening to low income residents who receive or are applying for food assistance, health care, cash assistance benefits, unemployment insurance or housing. This…

Attached are the comments submitted by MLRI to the Department of Homeland Security in response to the proposed public charge regulation.

For many years, DTA has had an option called “Heightened Level of Security” for clients worried about their safety and security. Clients who sign up for heightened security discuss this with a DTA worker and sign a form. For cases with heightened security, DTA is not allowed to…

This handout, with commonly asked questions about income maintenance and government benefits, was produced by the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation.

A flow chart setting out the organziational structure at DTA Central office, including senior managment and regional office directors.  Current as of January 2017. In January 2018, DTA released an updated chart to reflect its organizational realignment.  This chart is also…

Your Right to Know brochure (YRTK) in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole. This brochure explains your rights and responsibilities if you receive Department benefits including Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC), Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and…

The booklet resolves the misconceptions that college students are not eligible for resources such as food stamps or subsidized housing and guides students to make wise choices about affordable schools and career choices that will help stretch their limited resources. Written in a clear…

In the fall of 2014, DTA created an Online Guide with policy information for the EAEDC, SNAP and TAFDC programs.  It also includes BEACON data-entry and procedural steps for case managers to process cases. Click the "Go to Website" link below to view DTA's Online Guide…

The following are links to the website www.MassLegalHelp.org, which contains information about how the programs work, program rules, and how to apply for the benefits: TAFDC SNAP/Food Stamps Emergency Shelter (EA)    

From the preface: "We’re very pleased to be issuing the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Confidentiality Toolkit, a product of ACF’s Interoperability Initiative.  For decades, human services agencies have been seeking to identify ways to promote…

What is Electronic Document Management? Electronic Document Management, or EDM, is the new document management system used by DTA to scan and keep track of client forms and documents (verifications). EDM changes how documents are received by DTA. Documents are now processed out of one…

This document contains sample documents in plain language about specific benefits topics. It has been extracted from a larger document titled, The Essential Plain Language Collection. This is a guide created by LawNY and Trancend for legal aid advocates. The Essential Plain Language Collection will…