What's new at MLS

Reminder: SNAP Coalition meeting tomorrow, Tues 9/24 from 10-11:30    Here’s the Zoom link for tomorrow’s Coalition meeting. We will cover:   Poverty Commission & testimony  Brief overview of MA SNAP caseload & phone access, see charts…

Happy Fall! It’s official – autumn has arrived. Yesterday at 08:44 am EDT marked the autumnal equinox, and the sun crossed the celestial equator.  If you missed a chance to mark the occasion, you can enjoy an Extreme Moonset – the earliest setting of the moon during this year of…

A few updates below. Thee most critical and important is Monday’s event at the State House: Join MLRI & MA Coalition for the Homeless Monday 11-Noon in front of the State House to uphold shelter for children and families   We urge you to join us on Monday to call on the Governor…

ICYMI - tomorrow is the LAST SNAP Coalition meeting before the 4th Tuesday in September.   Just popping this email from Friday back into your inbox with the Zoom link   Coalition meeting Tuesday, July 23 - last Coalition meeting until September! Our next Coalition meeting…

A brief note to flag that DTA Connect has been experiencing technical difficulties. Many folks may not have been able to access DTA Connect yesterday or this morning. DTA has an alert posted on Mass.gov/DTA about this.  The DTAConnect online applications for SNAP and cash benefits…

Greetings all, hoping you had a rest filled 4th of July break. We want to share some important updates and reminders as summer rolls on. We also attached DTA’s July updates to the Advisory Boards, which covers a number of the things below. Our next Coalition meeting will be on Tuesday,…

Hi Everyone, At last week's meeting we heard about PA Prior Authorization and were cut short hearing about "referred eligibles." Attached & set out below is more information about both.   PCA Prior Authorization. Attached are a few of the charts we showed you at last week's…

At the recent Coalition meeting we discussed some SNAP application verifications. Members reported at the meeting, and in emails to MLRI, that "verification checklists" sometimes asking the SNAP applicants for documents that are not required at all, where the information can be…

You may recently have seen or heard about a DTA policy memo instructing staff to close benefits of SNAP households that have a long pattern (more than 90 days) of use of their EBT card for out-of-state food purchases and cannot verify their MA residence. Here's a link to the recent DTA…

We've received a number of inquiries about how to calculate SNAP benefits for households that contain a foster child or person who is being cared for under the Adult Foster Care program.**  There are special federal and state SNAP rules that allow households to EXCLUDE the foster child or foster…