<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><br><br><div id="AppleMailSignature">Melissa Gerber<div><div>Program Manager</div><div>Abilities Unlimited</div></div></div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> "Natasha Nakatsuka" <<a href="mailto:Nnakatsuka@abilitiesunlimitedhi.org">Nnakatsuka@abilitiesunlimitedhi.org</a>><br><b>Date:</b> April 2, 2020 at 7:13:00 AM HST<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:Mgerber@abilitiesunlimitedhi.org">Mgerber@abilitiesunlimitedhi.org</a>, <a href="mailto:msuehiro@abilitiesunlimitedhi.org">msuehiro@abilitiesunlimitedhi.org</a><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[Fwd: Final Cornell Memo on COVID-19 and benefits]</b><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><span>---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------</span><br><span>Subject: Final Cornell Memo on COVID-19 and benefits</span><br><span>From: <a href="mailto:rac79@cornell.edu">rac79@cornell.edu</a></span><br><span>Date: Thu, April 2, 2020 5:47 am</span><br><span>To: <a href="mailto:nnakatsuka@abilitiesunlimitedhi.org">nnakatsuka@abilitiesunlimitedhi.org</a></span><br><span>--------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span> covid-19 and SOCIAL INSURAnce Programs With ongoing impact of covid-19</span><br><span>still not fully understood by the community at large, individuals with</span><br><span>disabilities who regularly access a series of public benefits are left</span><br><span>with a variety of questions about the impact of the various federal and</span><br><span>state legislative and administrative actions on these various benefits. </span><br><span>Key language in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act</span><br><span>(CARES Act) serves as a guidepost from which the impact on benefits can</span><br><span>be better understood. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any</span><br><span>refund (or advance payment with respect to a refundable credit) made to</span><br><span>any individual under this title shall not be taken into account as</span><br><span>income, and shall not be taken into account as resources for a period of</span><br><span>12 months from receipt, for purposes of determining the eligibility of</span><br><span>such individual (or any other individual) for benefits or assistance (or</span><br><span>the amount or extent of benefits or assistance) under any Federal program</span><br><span>or under any State or local program financed in whole or in part with</span><br><span>Federal funds. 26 U.S. Code § 6409 Supplemental Security</span><br><span>Income (SSI): Individuals who are receiving SSI need to be aware of</span><br><span>several key elements related to the stimulus payment: 1. Stimulus</span><br><span>payments are NOT taxable. 2. Stimulus payments received by the</span><br><span>individual that are initiated through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and</span><br><span>Economic Security Act (CARES Act) will not counts as income in the</span><br><span>calculation of the individual’s SSI amount for that month(26 U.S.</span><br><span>Code § 6409). 3. Stimulus payments will not be counted as</span><br><span>“resources” for a twelve month period following the receipt</span><br><span>of the funds (26 U.S. Code § 6409). Social Security Disability</span><br><span>Insurance (SSDI), Disabled Widow(er) Benefits (DWB), Childhood Disability</span><br><span>Benefits (CDB) The stimulus payment will have no impact on any of these</span><br><span>Title II benefits: SSDI, DWB, CDB, and SSA Retirement. These benefits</span><br><span>are classified as insurance benefits and are NOT impacted by unearned</span><br><span>income. In addition, the stimulus payments will NOT be taxable. Please</span><br><span>note that Title II benefits are SSA benefits. SSI benefits are federal</span><br><span>welfare benefits. At any time when the Act refers to “Social</span><br><span>---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------</span><br><span>Subject: Final Cornell Memo on COVID-19 and benefits</span><br><span>From: <a href="mailto:rac79@cornell.edu">rac79@cornell.edu</a></span><br><span>Date: Thu, April 2, 2020 5:47 am</span><br><span>To: <a href="mailto:nnakatsuka@abilitiesunlimitedhi.org">nnakatsuka@abilitiesunlimitedhi.org</a></span><br><span>--------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span> covid-19 and SOCIAL INSURAnce Programs With ongoing impact of covid-19</span><br><span>still not fully understood by the community at large, individuals with</span><br><span>disabilities who regularly access a series of public benefits are left</span><br><span>with a variety of questions about the impact of the various federal and</span><br><span>state legislative and administrative actions on these various benefits. </span><br><span>Key language in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act</span><br><span>(CARES Act) serves as a guidepost from which the impact on benefits can</span><br><span>be better understood. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any</span><br><span>refund (or advance payment with respect to a refundable credit) made to</span><br><span>any individual under this title shall not be taken into account as</span><br><span>income, and shall not be taken into account as resources for a period of</span><br><span>12 months from receipt, for purposes of determining the eligibility of</span><br><span>such individual (or any other individual) for benefits or assistance (or</span><br><span>the amount or extent of benefits or assistance) under any Federal program</span><br><span>or under any State or local program financed in whole or in part with</span><br><span>Federal funds. 26 U.S. Code § 6409 Supplemental Security</span><br><span>Income (SSI): Individuals who are receiving SSI need to be aware of</span><br><span>several key elements related to the stimulus payment: 1. Stimulus</span><br><span>payments are NOT taxable. 2. Stimulus payments received by the</span><br><span>individual that are initiated through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and</span><br><span>Economic Security Act (CARES Act) will not counts as income in the</span><br><span>calculation of the individual’s SSI amount for that month(26 U.S.</span><br><span>Code § 6409). 3. Stimulus payments will not be counted as</span><br><span>“resources” for a twelve month period following the receipt</span><br><span>of the funds (26 U.S. Code § 6409). Social Security Disability</span><br><span>Insurance (SSDI), Disabled Widow(er) Benefits (DWB), Childhood Disability</span><br><span>Benefits (CDB) The stimulus payment will have no impact on any of these</span><br><span>Title II benefits: SSDI, DWB, CDB, and SSA Retirement. These benefits</span><br><span>are classified as insurance benefits and are NOT impacted by unearned</span><br><span>income. In addition, the stimulus payments will NOT be taxable. Please</span><br><span>note that Title II benefits are SSA benefits. SSI benefits are federal</span><br><span>welfare benefits. At any time when the Act refers to “Social</span><br><span>Security Benefits, “SSI” in not included unless specifically</span><br><span>stated by the statute. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)</span><br><span>There is no impact on SNAP benefits due to the receipt of a stimulus</span><br><span>payment in accordance with 26 U.S. Code § 6409. Housing and Urban</span><br><span>Development (HUD) There is no impact on HUD rent subsidies due to the</span><br><span>receipt of the stimulus funds. Further, HUD housing does not consider an</span><br><span>individual’s resources. Only the income produced by the resource,</span><br><span>bank interest, is considered by HUD. *Please check your state rules</span><br><span>concerning and state public housing in which an individual may be living.</span><br><span> HUD has also extended a “tailored set of mortgage payment relief</span><br><span>options for single family homeowners with FHA-insured mortgages”. </span><br><span>“Effective immediately for borrowers with a financial hardship that</span><br><span>makes them unable to pay their mortgage due to the COVID-19 National</span><br><span>Emergency, mortgage servicers must extend deferred or reduced mortgage</span><br><span>payment options - called forbearance - for up to six months, and must</span><br><span>provide an additional six months of forbearance if requested by the</span><br><span>borrower”[1]. Medicaid In all states that have accepted the Federal</span><br><span>Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) 6.2% increase from the federal</span><br><span>government (only NYS is in question), Medicaid recipients who received</span><br><span>benefits before the COVID-19 crisis, or become eligible during the crisis</span><br><span>cannot be terminated from Medicaid. On a case by case basis, states may</span><br><span>change the category or eligibility, e.g., from regular Medicaid to</span><br><span>1619(b) or Medicaid Buy-In for Working People with Disabilities</span><br><span>(MBI-WPD), but terminations of coverage will not be allowed. Medicare The</span><br><span>stimulus payment will have no impact on Medicare premiums or eligibility.</span><br><span> Medicare Savings Plans (MSPs), those programs that see Medicaid paying</span><br><span>all or part of Medicare premiums for Parts B and D, will also not be</span><br><span>impacted by the stimulus payments in accordance with above language (26</span><br><span>U.S. Code § 6409). Temporary Assistance for Needy Families</span><br><span>(TANF) In accordance with the language in 26 U.S. Code § 6409, the</span><br><span>stimulus payment will have no impact on TANF eligibility or resource</span><br><span>levels for a 12 month period from receipt of the funds. Unemployment</span><br><span>Insurance (UI) Each state is responsible for establishing its own UI</span><br><span>benefits eligibility. In general, individuals qualify when: ü </span><br><span>Are unemployed through no fault of your own. In most states, this means</span><br><span>you have to have separated from your last job due to a lack of available</span><br><span>work. ü Meet work and wage requirements. You must meet your</span><br><span>state’s requirements for wages earned or time worked during an</span><br><span>established period of time referred to as a "base period." In</span><br><span>most states, this is usually the first four out of the last five</span><br><span>completed calendar quarters before the time that your claim is filed.</span><br><span>ü Meet any additional state requirements. Find details of your own</span><br><span>state’s program. [2] Important UI Facts: · UI</span><br><span>has been extended beyond the “normal” 26 weeks to 39 weeks.</span><br><span>*Note: § Massachusetts residents will receive 43 weeks as the</span><br><span>Commonwealth provides 30 weeks of UI in normal circumstances. § </span><br><span>If your state pays other than 26 weeks in normal circumstances, simply</span><br><span>add 13 weeks to the number of state weeks of payment · The</span><br><span>federal government will also add $600 per week to the maximum state U/I</span><br><span>benefit paid. For instance, if your state maximum payment is $450 per</span><br><span>week, the weekly check will be $1045. There appears to be no variation</span><br><span>in payment for those not receiving the maximum in your states so we must</span><br><span>assume, until we receive other information that the $600 per week will be</span><br><span>added to all UI amounts paid by the state. · For SSD/I</span><br><span>workers with disabilities that will have to meet your state “base</span><br><span>rate”; meaning that they have to have worked long enough and earned</span><br><span>enough to be eligible for UI. See your state’s UI website for this</span><br><span>information. Many websites also have calculators to estimate payments.</span><br><span>Important UI and SSI Facts: · SSI recipients are required</span><br><span>to apply for any other benefit they may be eligible to receive when told</span><br><span>of potential eligibility. The SSA Program Operations Manual System</span><br><span>(POMS) states: ü SSA advises him/her, on a written, dated notice,</span><br><span>of potential eligibility for other benefits; and ü He/she does not</span><br><span>take all appropriate steps to file for and, if eligible, obtain any such</span><br><span>payments within 30 days of receipt of such notice. · For</span><br><span>those SSI recipients that meet your state’s UI “base</span><br><span>period” the potential of receiving $2400 plus the state U/I benefit</span><br><span>exists. SSI recipients could receive much more through the UI program</span><br><span>than through the SSI program. Thus, they should be encouraged to apply</span><br><span>ASAP for UI. Given that be maximum period of receipt of UI is 43 months,</span><br><span>SSI recipients will still be suspended when UI ends. Please note: ü</span><br><span> At the conclusion of the UI, the recipient MUST call SSA to have the SSI</span><br><span>reinstated. ü Any EXCESS resources held at the time reinstatement</span><br><span>is requested will count toward the resource limit. ü Achieving a</span><br><span>Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts or other protected savings</span><br><span>mechanisms could be considered, if eligible, to ensure SSI resource rules</span><br><span>are met.</span><br><span></span><br><span>released April 2, 2020 [1] HUD (2020, April 1). HUD issues new CARES</span><br><span>act mortgage payment relief for FHA single family homeowners. HUD</span><br><span><a href="https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_20_048">https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_20_048</a> </span><br><span>[2] DOL (2020, April, 2). How do I file for unemployment insurance? DOL</span><br><span><a href="https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/unemployment-insurance">https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/unemployment-insurance</a></span><br><span></span><br></div></blockquote></body></html>