Govt. Agency /Court Links& Materials

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Links to court or government agency websites. Also, materials issued by the agency or court itself (except for regulations and decisions) as well as rules and procedures governing the court or agency and its operations.

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OLGT 2023-67: Cross Programs: SNAP into BabySteps

DTA
The Office of Economic Empowerment (OEE) is a department within the Office of the Treasurer and Receiver General of Massachusetts. The OEE is tasked with offering free and accessible financial education, promoting wage equality, and creating a bright future for children across the state. BabySteps…

OLGT 2023-64: SNAP: Annual Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA) and Standard Utility Allowances Change

DTA
At the beginning of each Federal fiscal year, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) adjusts SNAP income standards, deduction amounts, and maximum benefit levels to reflect changes in the cost of living. This is known as the “SNAP COLA.” The Department also recalculates the Standard Utility…

OLGT 2023-65: SNAP: Notice Related to Glynn vs. Amy Kershaw as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance

DTA
As noted in OLGT Notice of Proposed Settlement in Glynn vs. Amy Kershawas Commissioner of the MA DTA (2023-47), the Department and Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) have reached a settlement. The Department has agreed to send a notice to certain class members whose SNAP was terminated…

OLGT 2023-61: Cross Program: Holiday Gift Verification (Globe Santa Program)

DTA
Each year, the Globe Santa provides age-appropriate holiday toys and books to eligible children who live in geographical areas designated by the Globe Santa Program. To be eligible to participate in Globe Santa, families must be active TAFDC, EAEDC or SNAP clients, live in the Globe Santa geographic…

OLGT 2023-62: Cross Program: P-EBT Benefits for Home-Schooled and Virtual Learners

DTA
As part of the plan for P-EBT benefits for School Year (SY) 2022-2023, virtual and home-schooled learners are able to apply for P-EBT benefits. Beginning August 25, 2023, virtual and home-schooled learners may only apply for P-EBT benefits via an online application on DTAConnect.com. Applications…

OLGT 2023-60: SNAP: P-EBT for Children 0-5 Years for School Year 2022-2023

DTA
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act established the option for states to administer Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits. Massachusetts has received federal approval to provide P-EBT to children aged 0-5 years old for School Year (SY) 2022-2023. Children aged 0-5 years old are eligible for SY…

OLGT 2023-57: TAFDC – Clothing Allowance, September 2023

DTA
The Department will issue a nonrecurring clothing allowance to eligible TAFDC clients under the age of 19 for September 2023. This year the amount of this benefit is $450 per eligible TAFDC client. Children who do not receive TAFDC are not eligible for this benefit.

OLGT 2023-59: SNAP: Preparing for Return of ABAWD Work Rules (Phase One)

DTA
Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the Able-bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) Work Rules were suspended on April 1, 2020. Clients who would have otherwise been required to meet the rules were given the exemption: ABAWD Work Rules Suspended (COVID-19). With the end of the public…

OLGT 2023-58C: TAFDC – Pathways to Work: Utilizing BEACON Workflows and Procedures for Tracking Participation and Providing Supports

DTA
As part of the TAFDC Pathways to Work redesign, the Department has made a number of changes to how economic assistance and engagement staff support clients in connecting and participating in activities, meeting the work rules, and how these rules are operationalized for clients through language,…

OLGT 2023-58A: TAFDC – Pathways to Work – TAFDC Pathways to Work Programs and Planning Activities

DTA
As part of the TAFDC Pathways to Work program redesign, the Department has made a number of changes to how economic assistance and engagement staff support clients in connecting to and participating in activities and meeting the work rules. This work also affects how these rules are operationalized…

OLGT 2023-58B: TAFDC: Pathways to Work – Work Program Rules and Consequences for Not Meeting Work Rules

DTA
As part of the TAFDC Pathways to Work redesign, the Department has made a number of changes to how economic assistance and engagement staff support clients in connecting to and participating in activities and meeting the work rules. This work also affects how these rules are operationalized for…

OLGT 2023-51: Cross Programs: Telephonic Interpreter Services

DTA
The Department continues to enhance its options to better serve clients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) or who use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate. The Department is now contracting with Lionbridge to provide both telephone and video interpreters. Lionbridge offers video…

OLGT 2023-54: Cross Program: System Changes Related to Questionable Residency

DTA
To help ensure that Massachusetts residency eligibility requirements are met for all its programs, the Department operates the Out of State EBT Card Usage Match. This match identifies clients who, based on their continuous EBT card usage in another state, have potentially moved out of…

OLGT 2023-52: Cross Programs: Transition to Five9 Phone System

DTA
As part of our ongoing commitment to modernizing our technology infrastructure and improving operational efficiency, the Department has upgraded its call center system. The Department has transitioned from the Cisco Finesse call center system to a more advanced and robust platform, Five9. The new…

OLGT 2023-56: Cross Programs: Address Change Cover Letter

DTA
New BEACON functionality to generate an Address Change Cover Letter has been developed. When a client’s mailing address is updated in BEACON (via DTA Connect, IVR, or manually updated by staff) and subsequently requests a document be resent to them, an Address Change Cover Letter will automatically…

OLGT 2023-53: TAFDC: Elimination of the Cash Advance deduction for Child Support Income

DTA
Effective immediately, child support income received from the date of TAFDC application until the date TAFDC benefits are authorized will not be deducted from the first grant payment by way of a Cash Advance deduction. Child support income received in the four weeks prior to TAFDC application…

OLGT 2023-55: Cross Programs: Ensuring Benefit Access for Noncitizen Clients

DTA
DTA Explanation of OLGT 2023-55: The Department has seen an increase in applications from noncitizen clients with qualified statuses, particularly Cuban-Haitian Entrants, some of whom are also in need of housing assistance. Over recent months, DTA has released guidance and tools to help assess…

OLGT 2023-49: SNAP: Summer 2023 P-EBT Benefits

DTA
The Department received approval to continue to provide P-EBT for families through summer 2023. This is the last issuance of summer P-EBT benefits as the federal public health emergency ended on May 11, 2023. To be eligible for Summer P-EBT benefits, children must be eligible to receive free or…

OLGT 2023-50: TAFDC & EAEDC: Informing Applicants for Economic Assistance of Potential Eligibility for Additional DTA Benefits

DTA
The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) recognizes that applicants for Economic Assistance (EA) benefits may not be aware of additional DTA administered benefits they may be eligible to receive. To ensure everyone has access to critical Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)…

One Care and SCO Comparison Table

MassHealth
The link below with information about One Care, MassHealth + Medicare for individuals with disabilities, now includes a Table comparing features of One Care and SCO. After turning 65, people on MassHealth Standard who are enrolled in One Care  have a choice of remaining in One Care or enrolling…

OLGT 2023-46: TAFDC: ESP Assistance Unit Assignment to Support TAFDC Pathways to Work

DTA
As part of the TAFDC Pathways to Work redesign, the Department has made a number of changes to how economic assistance and engagement staff support clients in connecting to and participating in activities and meeting the work rules. This work also affects how these rules are operationalized for…

OLGT 2023-48: Cross Programs: iPad Kiosk Option for Virtual Meetings Available

DTA
As part of our ongoing efforts to improve access to benefits and enhance client services, clients will now have the option to conduct DTA business using iPad kiosks to meet with their case managers virtually using the Department-approved video-conferencing software, Zoom. To facilitate this new…

OLGT 2023-47: Cross Programs: Notice of Proposed Settlement in Glynn vs. Amy Kershaw as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance

DTA
The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) uses information when a client’s EBT transactions have been made continuously out of state to determine whether follow up is needed regarding continued Massachusetts residency. The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) filed a class action…

OLGT 2023-44: Cross Programs: DTA Coverage for Fair Hearings and Administrative Disqualification Hearings

DTA
The Division of Hearings (DOH) is an impartial division within the Department that administers hearings and renders decisions for appeals requested by clients. Clients are given the opportunity to have a fair hearing, also known as an appeal, if they disagree with an action or inaction taken by the…

OLGT 2023-45: Cross Programs: P-EBT School Year 2022-2023

DTA
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act established the option for states to administer Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits. Massachusetts has received federal approval to provide P-EBT benefits for School Year (SY) 2022-2023. This is the last issuance of school year P-EBT benefits as the federal…

Overview of the Appeals From State Agencies Process in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Court System Self-Help Website
An overview of the procedures for appeals of state agency decions in Massachusetts.  Includes: Frequently Asked Questions about Appeals from Administrative Agency Decisions under General Laws ch.30A Administrative Appeals: Transcripts FAQ 30A Administrative Appeals Checklist 30A…

MassCityStats

Pioneer Institute
A website with statistical data about 14 Massachusetts cities, including Pittsfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, Springfield, Fitchburg, Leominster, Worcester, Lowell, Lawrence, Lynn, Brockton, Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford.

Where to Write for Vital Records

National Center for Health Statistics
Links to where to find birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates in every state.

SJC (Massachusetts) Style Manual

Supreme Judicial Court
From the introduction to the manual: "The manual includes general rules of SJC writing style, tables of abbreviations, guidelines for case citation, and rules of punctuation and capitalization followed in preparing the official reports. There are sections explaining the method of forming case…

Massachusetts State Court Links

MLRI
Links to Massachusetts state courts  Home page Housing Court Probate and Family Court Trial Court Appeals Court Supreme Judicial Court Forms Self-Help Center    

Forms: Affidavit of Indigency and Related Forms

Massachusetts Court System
Affidavit of Indigency materials from the the Mass Courts website:  The following forms and related documents used to request waiver, substitution or payment of court fees and court costs by the Commonwealth pursuant to G. L. c. 261, § 27B. can be found on the…

Massachusetts Rules of Court Ebooks

Massachusetts Trial Court Law Library
The Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries have formatted a number of Massachusetts Rules of Court for free download to ebooks and ebook readers (such as Kindles, Nooks, iphones, ipads, etc.)  Volumes available include: Court Rules Mass. Rules of Civil Procedure Mass. Rules of…

Federal Court Links (particularly those within the First Circuit)

MLRI
List of links to the federal courts, including the First Ciruit Court of Appeals, and the federal District Courts within the First Circuit. Website of First Circuit Court of Appeals First Circuit Rulebook Fee schedule Website of United States District Court, District of…

MAPC Boston region data

Metropolitan Area Planning Council
MAPC, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, has collected town, city, county, state, national (census and other), private, educational, police and other data referencing the Boston region and created the Metro DataCommon. You can find everything from high school dropout rates to transit times in…

OLGT 2023-43: SNAP: Rollback of Student COVID-19 Temporary Procedures

DTA
The Consolidated Appropriations Act effective December 27, 2020 included a provision that expanded college student eligibility to include: Students who are eligible to participate in a State or federally financed work study during the regular school year, but who may not be actively…

OLGT 2023-40: Cross Programs: New Notice Engine - Replacing EBC Notices

DTA
The Department continues to work to enhance and expand client communications. Effective May 19, 2023, many Electronic Benefit Calculation (EBC) Notices will have a new look. These new notices are called Benefit Decision Notices (BDN). The BDN upgrades the look, feel, and flexibility of the…

OLGT 2023-41: Cross Programs: DTA Guidelines for Procedural Mailbox Engagement

DTA
The Procedural Mailbox is a resource for resolving policy and procedural issues that staff may encounter. Policy staff assigned to the Procedural Mailbox review inquiries and provide responses to questions submitted by Authorized Mailbox Users. The Procedural Mailbox is a valuable tool…

OLGT 2023-39: Cross Program: Address Confidentiality Program Transfer Procedures and Reminders on Entering Information

DTA
The Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) provides survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking with a substitute address to keep their physical location confidential. In our continued efforts to serve these clients safely while maintaining access to benefits and services, DTA is…

OLGT 2023-37: Cross Program: Additional Parole Process for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans

DTA
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a process through which nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, and their immediate family members, may request to come to the United States in a safe and orderly way. Qualified beneficiaries who are outside the United States and…

OLGT 2023-38: SNAP: Updated Guidance on Group Home Processing

DTA
Since March 2021, SNAP case processing actions for DDS state-operated group homes have been directly routed to the Group Homes Business Group in BEACON. The Group Homes Business Group is accessible to all Group Home Liaisons, Group Home Supervisors, and designated backup staff. With recent BEACON…

OLGT 2023-36: Cross Program: Redesign of Permanent Resident Cards and Employment Authorization Documents

DTA
On January 30, 2023, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced new designs for tamper-resistant Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards), and Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). USCIS began issuing the redesigned cards on January 30, 2023, but some Green…

OLGT 2023-34: Cross Programs: SAVE Update and Best Practices

DTA
The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program provides government agencies with a tool to verify the immigration status of noncitizen applicants seeking benefits. Based on recent updates to the SAVE system and information obtained from SAVE trainings, the Online Guide has been…

OLGT 2023-35: Cross Programs: Automatic EBT Adjustment Claims

DTA
Clients are able to request an EBT adjustment claim through the Department’s EBT vendor, Conduent. When a client submits a EBT adjustment claim to Conduent, the Benefit Issuance Unit at Central Office reviews each claim and determines if the claim is legitimate. Upon approving or denying a…

OLGT 2023-31: Cross Program: Discontinuation of P-EBT Expungement Notices

DTA
DTA and Non-DTA clients who have not used their P-EBT benefits in 274 days, were previously issued a P-EBT Expungement Notice when benefits were expunged. This notice advised clients of the total P-EBT benefits expunged and how to request restoration of the expunged benefits. With the ending of…

OLGT 2023-33: SNAP: Reinstating Interim Reports and Implementing New Interim Report Waiver (Phase One)

DTA
In 2020, due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department was approved to waive the Interim Report (IR) requirement for all SNAP-only households on Simplified Reporting. This waiver is set to expire as the Public Health Emergency is ending and COVID-related flexibilities…

OLGT 2023-29: Cross Programs: Resuming the Ability to Schedule In-Office Appointments

DTA
In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 health emergency the Department closed local offices and temporarily suspended the mailing of all in-person appointment notices. Effective April 7, 2023, the ability to schedule and generate in-office appointment letters has now resumed to ensure that…

OLGT 2023-32: Cross Program: Rollback on Removal of PII from Certain Pages

DTA
In 2022, the Department updated BEACON so that most pages and views would no longer display Social Security Numbers (SSNs) and other personal identifying information (PII). These changes were detailed in Online Guide Transmittals 2022-62 and 2022-80. Since then, TAO staff indicated…

OLGT 2023-30: SNAP: Return of SNAP Application Interviews (Phase One)

DTA
  Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department maintained an interview waiver with Food and Nutrition Services (FNS). This allowed SNAP application interviews to be waived when there were no outstanding mandatory verifications. This flexibility helped the Department to…

OLGT 2023-28: SNAP: Massachusetts SNAP Emergency Allotments

DTA
Due to the end of the Federal SNAP emergency allotments, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is providing temporary state funded SNAP emergency allotments for eligible households in the months of March, April, and May. Clients will receive these benefits as a supplement in April, May, and June. This…

OLGT 2023-25: SNAP: Reminder on How to Process Earned Income at COVID-19 Recertification

DTA
Staff are reminded to continue to follow the streamlined COVID-19 Recertification procedures outlined in OLGT 2021-58. As a reminder, although COVID-19 recertification households are otherwise recertified using IR procedures, these households must verify earned income at recertification if a…