Benefits -- general

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,…

  Regardless of the SNAP math, if your household's income is below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, we encourage you to apply for SNAP! Visit DTAConnect.com, call 1-877-382-2363 (press 7), go to a local DTA office, or visit Mass.gov/SNAP to learn about other ways to apply.  1.…

Use the attached worksheet for  manual SNAP calculations. This worksheet is accurate starting October 1, 2023.   

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. We've also included, below, a chart that helps advise older…

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…

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 - and you need food benefits, here’s what you need to…

Below are resources for community organizations and individuals. Extra Emergency SNAP Benefits - "Emergency Allotments" - Last payment was June 2 Federal extra SNAP benefits started in March 2020 and ended in February 2023. Massachusetts is leading the nation by providing state funded…

Materials from the March 7, 2023 Income Maximization training gathered by Legal Services Center, GBLS, MLRI, presented as part of the MLRI/MCLE Basic Benefits Training series. Handouts Maximizing Income and Reducing Expenses 2023 (pdf of power point slides) Income/ Resources…

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…

The charts below set forth the annual, monthly and weekly 2023 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…

Materials from the December 13, 2022 Cash Assistance training, presented as part of the MLRI/MCLE Basic Benefits Training Series: Training Presentation Materials Agenda Faculty Bios TAFDC Overview and COVID Updates (pdf of slides) Benefits for Immigrant-Headed…

Changes due to Covid -19 DTA offices are open for limited in-person services, including picking up an EBT card in person. Go to this page, www.masslegalservices.org/content/dta-snap-and-cash-benefits-during-covid-19, for further updates. DTA Local Office Contacts This directory…

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…

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…

On October 27, 2014 DTA implemented changes from a "case management" system to a "task-based" system for most DTA clients and a "Call Center" model. This change was part of DTA's Business Process Redesign (BPR). It followed DTA’s…

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…