There is an 85-year-old widow whose Social Security is being cut by the SNAP program. Today we’re going to talk about why this is happening to people and what you can do to make sure that it does not happen to you.

It’s really stressful because, especially in Jerrallee’s case, she didn’t do anything wrong. The government fully admitted it was their fault, but she is still the one paying the price for that mistake.

We’re going to go through her story today, as well as what causes this, what you can do to prevent it, and so on and so forth.

This is a transcript of our video. You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel: Low Income Relief.

Jerrallee King’s Story

Let’s start by introducing you to Jerrallee King.

She applied for SNAP correctly in 2021, gave them all the right information, and then she received benefits for about three and a half years. Those benefits ranged from $112 a month to $348 a month.

Then all of a sudden, her benefits stopped, and she received a bill for $8,927, which is a lot of money.

In the letter she received, the government was very open about what had gone wrong. They said:

“The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has determined your household was overpaid SNAP benefits. The overpayment occurred as a result of agency error. The agency failed to input the correct resource amount, causing the household to receive SNAP benefits they were not eligible for.”

In other words, Jerrallee did everything she was supposed to do. She gave them all the right information. She was not committing fraud, but the worker in the office did not enter the information correctly.

As a result, Jerrallee received benefits that she assumed she was legally entitled to. Then the agency discovered the mistake and wanted her to pay it back.

Why She Had No Way Of Knowing

I can’t underscore this enough because a lot of times when we talk about things like overpayments, people say things like, “Oh, you should have known you were getting more than you were supposed to.”

But Jerrallee literally had no way of knowing the amount was wrong. She had been honest. She had done everything right. It was the agency that made the mistake.

It gets even worse than that. At first, Jerrallee thought that letter was a scam. She didn’t take it seriously because she had never heard of anything like that before.

Because she couldn’t pay it, the Treasury Department sent her another letter. This time informing her that they were going to deduct 15% of her Social Security check until the debt was completely repaid.

That’s about $200 a month they are taking out of her Social Security to repay the SNAP program.

Jerrallee is 85. She’s a widow. She lives on a fixed income, and she told news outlets like ABC13 that she’s looking for a job so she can pay that money back.

This is a terrible situation to be in, and it was absolutely not her fault.

Why These Debts Get So Large

These debts grow over time because the state usually doesn’t recognize that they made a mistake until years later—sometimes even a decade or more down the road.

Then seniors get hit with these astronomical bills that there is simply no way to pay.

We’ve seen this happening in the Social Security program with SSI overpayments, and we’re seeing it happen in the SNAP program more and more as well.

A lot of the problem comes down to the SNAP error rate. Nationally, the error rate is around 11%, which means nearly 1 in 10 SNAP payments is wrong.

Of that 11%, the majority—9.26%—is the overpayment rate. That’s how many people are getting too much. The remainder comes from people who are actually getting less than they’re supposed to.

But we hear a lot less about the people who are getting underpaid. The state is very aggressive about going after those who were overpaid and making them pay it back.

Right now, the law says they can garnish up to 15% of your Social Security check and take other federal payments in order to repay that SNAP debt.

The USDA website says clearly:

“By law, states are required to correct payment errors. Overpayments must be paid back.”

ABC13 said this another way:

“Federal law requires states to claw back overpayments even when the state is the one that messed up. It’s a fine-print reality that most applicants won’t see.”

I hope you never see this situation. I hope it never happens to you. But the reality is that it is affecting some people, including Jerrallee.

I really loved what she said about it. She said:

“When you make a mistake, you have to rectify it in some way. You don’t just pass it off on somebody else and say, ‘Oh, I made a mistake here. You fix it.’”

Because that’s kind of what she’s going through. The agency made a huge error, and now she’s being asked to pay the price.

How SNAP Overpayment Repayment Works

For the rest of this video, we’re going to assume we’re talking about a notice of overpayment, not an accusation of an intentional program violation. That is a totally different matter.

We have a separate video that talks about intentional program violations. Today we’re focusing on notices of overpayment, which often aren’t even your fault.

If you’re still receiving SNAP benefits, that notice will explain how much of your current benefits they’re going to withhold to pay back the debt.

If you are no longer getting SNAP benefits—or you’re no longer eligible—then that letter will ask you to set up a payment plan or pay the debt in full.

If you don’t pay and don’t set something up, they may refer the debt to the Treasury Offset Program, or TOP program. That’s when they can start taking money from your Social Security check and other federal payments.

It’s not like one day SNAP just says, “Hey, we’re taking your Social Security,” and it’s gone. There are a lot of procedural steps before it gets to that point.

That’s actually good because it means you have opportunities to stop it before it reaches that stage.

If You Are Still Receiving SNAP

If you’re still receiving SNAP benefits, the agency will usually withhold part of your benefits to repay the debt.

Typically they withhold 10% or $10—whichever is greater—until the debt is repaid.

But that only works if you’re still receiving SNAP.

If you’re no longer getting SNAP benefits, the process works differently.

The Treasury Offset Program (TOP)

If the debt isn’t paid or arranged, the agency can send it to the Treasury Offset Program (TOP).

TOP is a federal system that can automatically withhold money from government payments like:

• Social Security
• VA benefits
• Federal tax refunds
• Other federal payments

The USDA can tell the Treasury, “This person owes us money,” and then the Treasury attempts to collect it from other payments you receive.

The amount they can take is the lesser of:

• 15% of your monthly benefit, or
• The amount over $750 per month.

That means if your benefits are very low—close to $750—they may take less than 15% because they must leave you at least $750 in federal benefits.

However, that protection only applies to federal benefit payments like Social Security. It does not apply to tax refunds. Tax refunds can be taken in full.

This is especially difficult right now because Medicare rates have gone up and the COLA has already affected many people’s SNAP benefits.

What To Do If You Receive An Overpayment Notice

If you receive a notice of overpayment, the clock starts immediately and you need to act quickly.

These letters usually come from state agencies like:

• DCF
• DHS
• HHSC

They will not come from Social Security.

The letter will explain:

• The amount they say you owe
• Why they think you owe it
• Your appeal rights
• Your deadlines

Please pay attention to those deadlines.

Even if the letter looks suspicious or seems like it might be a scam, do not ignore it. Instead, contact your state agency using the official phone number you know is correct and confirm whether the notice is real.

Usually you have 60 to 90 days to request a fair hearing in writing. That hearing allows you to challenge the overpayment decision.

From what I’ve read, if you appeal within 10 days, your SNAP benefits will stay the same while the appeal is being decided.

However, if you lose the appeal, you may owe back the benefits you continued to receive during that time.

Asking For A Debt Compromise

You can also ask the state for a debt compromise.

A compromise means the agency agrees to reduce or waive part of the amount you owe.

You may qualify if:

• The overpayment was caused by agency error or household error
• You cannot reasonably repay the debt within 36 months

For example, if the overpayment is $1,000 and your benefit reduction is $10 a month, you would only repay $360 over three years. In some cases, the agency may reduce the debt to that amount so it can realistically be repaid.

These rules vary by state, so you’ll need to ask your state agency or contact your local legal aid office.

When requesting a compromise, be very clear about the hardship the repayment would create—especially if it would prevent you from covering basic needs like food, housing, or medical care.

Setting Up A Payment Plan

If you’re no longer on SNAP, you should call your state agency as soon as you receive the notice and try to set up a payment plan.

Even offering something small—like $25 a month—may prevent the debt from being referred to the Treasury.

Make sure any agreement is in writing, and keep copies of everything for your records.

Stopping the debt before it reaches the Treasury is extremely important because once it gets there, it can be much harder to resolve.

If The Treasury Is Already Taking Your Money

If garnishment has already started, your options are more limited, but you may still have some.

First, call the TOP hotline. They can tell you:

• The agency code
• The creditor agency
• Who you need to contact

However, TOP cannot waive the debt, refund money, or set up payment plans. They are only the collector.

You still have to work with the original SNAP agency because they are the ones who actually control the debt.

Don’t File The Wrong Forms

Some people try to file Social Security overpayment forms like SSA-632BK or SSA-561.

Those forms are for Social Security overpayments, not SNAP debts collected through the Treasury Offset Program.

In this situation, Social Security is basically just the delivery system for the payment. They aren’t responsible for the SNAP debt.

Trying to resolve it with Social Security is like complaining to the mail carrier that your utility bill is too high. They simply can’t fix it.

You must deal directly with the state SNAP agency.

One Possible Exception

One situation where reconsideration may be possible is if you never received the original overpayment notice.

If the agency failed to properly notify you, legal aid organizations say this may reopen your appeal rights—even after the debt has gone to the Treasury.

You can also try contacting your SNAP office to explain financial hardship and renegotiate, but once it reaches the offset stage it can be much harder to undo.

How To Protect Yourself

If you’re watching this purely for informational purposes and this situation hasn’t happened to you, there is one simple step you should take right now.

Update your mailing address with your state SNAP agency.

Make sure they know how to reach you so you don’t miss any future notices.

If you ever receive a notice of overpayment, you need to act quickly. If those letters are going to the wrong address, you may miss the opportunity to protect yourself.

If you request a hearing, you’ll likely need to include:

• Your name
• Address
• Case number
• Phone number
• Date
• The reason you disagree

If you’re past the appeal deadline, you may also need to explain why you’re late.

Keep copies of everything you send and send it by certified mail if possible.

Final Thoughts

This situation is incredibly stressful. Finding out there was an issue with your benefits and then receiving a demand for repayment can feel like an absolute nightmare.

If you need additional support, please check the legal aid list on our website at lirlinks.com. There are organizations out there that may be able to help you.

I hope this video has been helpful, and I would encourage you to check out our other recent videos on Social Security because there is a lot going on there that you don’t want to miss.

Update

Update: An anonymous donor has now paid off Jerrallee’s SNAP debt in full.

We’re grateful for that generosity — but if you receive an overpayment notice, don’t ignore it. You may have appeal rights and options before garnishment begins.

It’s another day and another discussion about health care cuts. Unfortunately, we just saw another announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services discussing different changes they plan on making to both marketplace and Medicare as they begin proposing new rules for 2027.

Although we’ve heard plenty about how things are worse this year than last year, it does appear that even more cuts and changes are on the horizon. Some of these are specifically designed to impact lower-income people. So today we’re going to dive into what all of those changes mean, how they could affect you, and what you can do about it right now.

So without any further ado, let’s dive in and find out what’s going on.

This is a transcript of our video. You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel: Low Income Relief.

Proposed Changes To Marketplace Plans

There were two proposals that came out about health care. One talks about changes to marketplace plans, and the other talks about changes to Medicare Advantage and Part D. These are both proposals. They’re not final yet, but this is the direction they’re wanting to take health care.

First, a key safety net is being removed: the special enrollment period designed for people who are low income. If you’re earning under 150% of the federal poverty level, there was a special enrollment period that allowed you to sign up for coverage outside of open enrollment. They want to end that.

That means fewer chances to transition to marketplace coverage if you lose Medicaid. We know that’s a primary concern right now because we recently did a video about the changes they want to make to Medicaid as they start enforcing those work requirements.

This safety net being removed is a primary concern for us here at Low Income Relief because we worry about you guys, and we don’t want anyone going without the health care they need.

Along with that, they also want to require documentation verification for at least 75% of new enrollments. This becomes another hoop people have to jump through that makes it harder to get care. If you can’t easily upload documents, if you have unstable housing or no reliable mail, or if you’re transitioning out of Medicaid and have no idea what you’re doing, this can make things extra difficult.

In addition, they want to implement stricter income requirements for those of you whose incomes are under 100% of the federal poverty level, which is about $15,000 a year for one person right now. Previously, if you didn’t have income on your tax returns, you could state it, sign an affidavit saying that was your income, and move on. Now they want you to submit documentation proving what your income is.

This is a big problem for people with seasonal or informal work. They’re basically closing the workarounds people could use if they didn’t have tax data. They want you proving your income, preferably through tax data, but if you don’t file taxes or you have very low earnings, this could become a major barrier.

They also want to implement a failure-to-file penalty starting in 2028. If you received a premium tax credit but didn’t file your taxes and reconcile everything, you could be cut off from future help with your premiums. That could become very problematic.

They’re also removing subsidies from lawfully present non-citizens who are not eligible for Medicaid and earn under 100% of the federal poverty level. They don’t want to provide those anymore either. I know that’s going to be a major concern for a lot of you.

They want to stop routine adult dental services from being included as an essential health benefit in marketplace plans. Dental wasn’t previously required, and not all plans offered it, but some areas had it and some plans were offering it. They don’t want to continue that. This could reduce dental access for low-income people who rely on those plans for care.

They also want to let states choose to rely entirely on private companies to create their enrollment sites instead of using a state-run website. This runs the risk of confusing users or steering them toward the wrong plans. I think it has the potential to make sites easier to use—government websites have often been clunky or outdated—but it also introduces possible conflicts of interest if it’s not handled correctly. I’m a little concerned about how that might roll out.

They also want to change the rules so that insurance plans only need to cover about 20% of essential community providers, down from 35%. That means they can cut out more federally qualified health centers, safety-net hospitals, and other clinics that specifically serve low-income patients and usually offer lower or sliding-scale fees.

Now, they are also talking about expanding the hardship exemption, but it’s not as helpful as it might sound. They’re saying that people earning under 100% of the federal poverty level could qualify for catastrophic health plans. Those plans have lower monthly premiums, but you have to pay very high out-of-pocket costs before the coverage kicks in. This could help some people, but it could still be a major strain depending on your situation.

Health care plans are one of those things I personally find very overwhelming because there are so many of them and so many nuances. It’s all very individual. That’s why I always like to refer you to trusted experts. If you’re dealing with marketplace coverage, try to find someone you trust who can help you review your options carefully.

They are also talking about cracking down on misleading ads. Any marketing that falsely promises $0 premiums or “free insurance” could be targeted, which would be great because a lot of scammy ads use those tactics.

They also want to stop visually labeling standardized plans, which makes it harder to compare options and generally more confusing.

Proposed Changes To Medicare

Now let’s talk about the changes they want to introduce to Medicare, especially looking ahead to 2027. The final rules are due April 6. Right now, this is just a proposal posted on their website.

They’re considering an overall payment change to Medicare Advantage plans of 0.9%. That’s significantly lower than what was expected. Reports suggested they were expecting a 4–5% boost, but they’re trying to rein in extra costs associated with Medicare Advantage.

They’re also making technical changes to risk models and diagnosis exclusions. It sounds very technical, but the result could be reduced benefits, smaller over-the-counter allowances, or stricter prior authorizations as companies try to control their own costs.

The documentation says they want to exclude diagnoses from audio-only visits from plan payment calculations. They’re not banning phone visits, but you may find you’re pushed more toward video or in-person visits as companies adapt.

They’re also talking about raising the out-of-pocket limit for Part D. If you have Extra Help, your co-pays are much lower and mostly unaffected. If you’re overwhelmed by Medicare changes, it’s really important to talk to someone knowledgeable and make sure you understand your options.

Make sure you’re reviewing your Medicare Advantage plan benefits every year. As they start cutting costs and changing things, you can’t just assume your plan will stay the same. Open enrollment starts in October. We’re not there yet, but make a plan now to review your coverage when that season comes around. I’ll remind you when we get there.

Be aware that some plans may de-prioritize audio-only telehealth if these changes go into effect. And if you have low income, make sure you check out the different Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help, and anything else you might be eligible for.

What If You’re On Medicaid Or Losing Coverage?

If you’re on Medicaid, you’re largely unaffected by this specific update, but you are affected by the other recent changes we talked about in our previous video. Make sure you check that out so you understand what’s happening there.

If you lose your marketplace coverage, that usually counts as a qualifying life event that gives you a special enrollment period so you can enroll in a new plan. Make sure you know the deadlines so you don’t miss that opportunity.

It’s always a good idea to check again to see if you’re eligible for Medicaid. Medicaid is amazing, and we will always highly recommend it if you qualify.

If you find yourself without health care or unable to afford your care, federally qualified health centers are amazing. They often offer primary care, dental, and mental health services on a sliding-scale fee regardless of your insurance coverage. We’ll try to drop a link to help you find one.

If you can afford it, consider looking into direct primary care. I have a friend who’s a DPC doctor, and she’s fantastic. It’s kind of like Netflix for health care. You pay a subscription fee, and you can see that doctor and get most in-office services covered by that fee. Labs and other services are often offered at cost, at least at her clinic. There are DPC clinics popping up all over, so you might find one in your area that’s more affordable.

There are also other free and low-cost clinics out there. We have other videos and articles about how to find those, so I’d encourage you to check them out.

If you’re getting premium tax credits, make sure you understand whether you need to file your taxes to keep those benefits. I don’t want you getting caught up in any loopholes. Pay attention to any letters or notices you receive.

Thank you for sticking with us today. I’m so sorry this week has been so full of chaotic news updates. We’ll be back Monday with our March roundup of all the different freebies and settlements you can find. There’s so much, and I’m so excited to share it with you. We’re planning to do that live, so I hope you’ll join me so we can chat.

I’ll be back soon with more ways you can save money and get free stuff.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the content on this website are solely those of the content creators and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. All content is intended for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes only and should not be interpreted as official positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter disclaims any liability for actions taken based on this content.

If you need assistance with Medicare, please reach out to Medicare, your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP), your current Medicare insurance agent/broker/plan, or contact our Medicare partner, Chapter, at 417-319-2139 or visit their website at https://lirlinks.com/chapter. Chapter: Memoir, Inc. d/b/a Chapter is a privately owned, data- and technology-enabled advisory service helping older Americans navigate retirement. Insurance agency services are provided by Chapter Advisory, LLC, a licensed health insurance agency and wholly owned subsidiary of Memoir, Inc. In California, Chapter Advisory, LLC does business as Chapter Insurance Services (Lic. No. 6003691).Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations as well as stand-alone prescription drug plans with Medicare contracts. Enrollment depends on the renewal of those contracts. While Chapter maintains a comprehensive database of Medicare plans nationwide and assists in searching all options, Chapter has contracts with many, but not all, plans. Therefore, Chapter does not offer every plan available in your area. Chapter recommends plans even if they are not directly offered through Chapter. For complete Medicare plan options, please visit Medicare.gov, call 1-800-Medicare, or contact your local SHIP office.

The deepest SNAP cuts in history are already underway, and millions have lost their SNAP benefits already. Millions more are projected to be affected by the end of the year.

I absolutely hate bringing you bad news, but today we’re going to do a deep dive into what is causing this, when it might hit your area, and what you can do to make sure you are not at risk of losing those benefits that I know are so vital to you. So, with that, let’s dive in.

This is a transcript of our video. You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel: Low Income Relief.

Millions Have Already Lost Benefits

We know that almost two million people lost their benefits in 2025 just with all of the new rules and new hoops that people had to jump through. We know that it wasn’t a drop in need, right?

Some people look at these numbers and go, “Oh, this is great. People don’t need food help as much anymore.” But if that were the case, then the food banks wouldn’t see surging demand. They wouldn’t be struggling as more and more people come to food banks for help after losing their SNAP benefits.

So we know it’s not a drop in demand. This is largely due to new barriers, fear, and other factors that are making it hard for people to get the assistance they need.

The Congressional Budget Office is projecting that 2.4 million people will lose their SNAP every month over the next, I think they said, 10 years as a result of the new work requirements.

Some of those people may be legitimately able-bodied and able to work, and they may just make enough money to get off SNAP. And that’s great. But we also know from experience that some of those people are going to be seniors who don’t know how to keep up with the new rules and verification requirements and hoops they’re going to have to jump through. Some of those people will probably be veterans. Some of them will be kids.

It’s a very hard situation to know that there is going to be this much loss in this program when I know how much this program means to so many of you personally.

Why The Rollout Has Been Confusing

The reason we’re talking about this today is because the rollout of these new requirements wasn’t clean-cut. It didn’t all go into effect nationwide in one day. It’s kind of been staggered, and there are a lot of different reasons for that.

We know that Nevada, for example, is going to see 45,000 people lose their SNAP benefits in March. That’s almost 1 in 10 people who receive SNAP in the state who will suddenly have their benefits stopped.

That’s a pretty abrupt change because Nevada has been exempt from those work requirements since 2008 due to the employment and economic situation in that state. That exemption is now gone, and for the first time in almost 20 years, people now have to comply with these new work requirements.

A lot of them, I would assume, simply don’t know how to prove that they’re eligible for an exemption or how to meet those requirements and do the reporting and all of the new hoops these rules are going to introduce.

Part of the reason that the numbers are so big and so drastic in terms of who’s being cut off is because almost no states qualify for those unemployment waivers now.

The rules used to be a lot more lax. If an area had high unemployment, they could get an unemployment waiver where the USDA would say, “Yeah, we realize there’s not enough jobs in this area for everybody. Just let them eat.” That’s not a thing anymore.

The new administration, when they took over last year, was very clear that they wanted to make these waivers very, very hard to get. There are only 10 counties nationwide now that qualify for these ongoing waivers because your area has to have over 10% unemployment in order to get one. That means 1 in 10 people has to be unable to find work, which is a very high number for unemployment.

So there are only 10 counties now where those waivers exist, and everyone else has to comply with these new work rules.

There are 42 million people on SNAP. That’s about 1 in 8 Americans who rely on SNAP, and a large portion of them could be impacted by these changes.

Please don’t tune out. I know this is bad news, and I know how hard it is to listen to bad news. It’s hard for me to deliver bad news to you. But a little bit later, we’re going to talk about some action steps you can take, some proactive tips you can use to keep yourself safe, and the timeline as to when this may begin to affect you. Please just stick with me.

Who Is Affected By The New Work Requirements

Assuming that you live outside of those 10 counties where waivers still exist, the new requirements are for able-bodied adults without dependents. If you qualify in this category, you can only get SNAP for three months in a three-year period if you don’t meet the work requirements.

In a lot of states, if not most states, that three-year period is fixed, meaning it runs from, say, January 1, 2022, to January 1, 2025. In that period, you can get it for three months, and then when it rolls over to the next period, you can get it for three months again. If you don’t comply with the work requirements, that’s all you get unless you qualify for an exemption or your situation changes.

If you do meet the new work requirements, then your benefits can continue uninterrupted, and you can keep receiving SNAP as long as you’re eligible. But that does require you to put in 80 hours a month in order to maintain those benefits.

Those 80 hours a month can come from work, participating in a work training program, a combination of work and work training, or something called workfare, which is where the government has you volunteer with a nonprofit or organization in exchange for those benefits. There are a lot of different ways you can meet that requirement.

We did a really great video recently on the SNAP E&T, or Education and Training program, that can help you meet these requirements. But again, if you’re disabled or caregiving for someone, these options aren’t going to work for you. So it’s important to know what those exemptions are.

Right now, those who are going to be most affected by these new work rules are likely those between the ages of 50 and 64. Previously, the age limit for work requirements was 49. Once you hit 50, you didn’t have to worry about it. But they have since raised that to age 65, so you’re expected to meet these requirements until your 65th birthday.

It’s also going to affect parents whose kids are between 14 and 18 because previously they didn’t have to meet the requirements, and now that age limit has been dropped. If your child is 14 or older, you now have to meet the work requirements.

Veterans and those who are homeless will also be affected because they had automatic exemptions and now they don’t. Refugees and asylees are no longer eligible at all for this program under the new rules.

One of the things that concerns me personally is the age issue. We’ve heard from so many of you in the comments who are concerned about this because ageism is a very real thing that people face in the workplace. Now they’re requiring workers between the ages of 55 and 64 to go find jobs, but 44% of this age group was unemployed for 15-plus weeks in 2024 because ageism makes job searching harder.

It really feels like the government is requiring what the market isn’t offering.

If you do find yourself in this age bracket and required to work for your SNAP, you can look into workfare options where you’re volunteering. That might be a good workaround.

Who Is Exempt From The Work Rules

There are still exemptions for some people.

• If you’re under 18, you don’t need to worry about this.
• If you’re age 65 or older, you don’t need to worry about this.
• If you are physically or mentally unable to work and you can get a doctor to verify that for you, you can get an exemption.
• If you’re caring for a child under the age of 14, there’s an exemption.
• If you’re a student enrolled in school at least half-time, that counts.
• If you are receiving SSI, SSDI, or VA disability benefits, that’s a pretty easy way to prove that you are considered disabled and do not need to meet those work requirements.

If you need help applying for SSDI, we have an amazing sponsor, Injury Claims, that can help connect you with a free case review. If you have previously been denied for VA or SSDI, they can also help you file an appeal, but you’ll need to follow a different link.

Automatic exemptions are no longer available for veterans, homeless individuals, people aging out of foster care, refugees, asylees, and others, so do be aware of that.

The Paperwork Trap Is Real

A lot of people have talked about how all of the hoops required with these new requirements are turning people away from the program. That paperwork trap is a very real thing.

We know that when there are long wait times, there’s a lot of administrative churn because they’re hoping you’ll get frustrated and give up.

I know a lot of the seniors who follow this channel have told me that they get the absolute rock-bottom bare minimum of $24 a month. There’s only so much you’re going to put up with before you decide that’s not worth it. And honestly, sometimes it feels like that’s what they’re trying to do.

Please, please be persistent. Take care of yourselves. Persistence really is your most powerful tool right now.

When Will This Affect You?

This bill was passed on July 4, 2025, and then it had a grace period until November 1, 2025. That’s when all the states were supposed to implement it.

But some states had waivers and other circumstances, so not all states have even started the clock yet. Then able-bodied adults without dependents get a three-month period after they start the clock.

It’s really hard to track when the cutoff is going to begin in each state.

We are doing our best to aggregate a list of the cutoff dates and the three-year periods on our website at lirlinks.com because that matters. If you use that three-month period but then it resets, say in September 2026 like it does in at least one state, then you can get it for another three months again after that reset.

Both pieces of that puzzle are really important to understand, and we’re doing our best to get all of that information available to you at lirlinks.com.

For now, we know that in some states like Texas, those cutoffs have already begun. In other states like Ohio and Illinois, those cutoffs are going to begin in May because they’re just now getting around to starting the clock, and then that clock has to run out before the cutoffs begin.

In California, they have a waiver that doesn’t even start the clock until the end of 2026, so you have a little more time. It really depends on where you’re located, and you need to know when those deadlines are.

What You Can Do Right Now

First, if you have any physical or mental limitation that makes work difficult for you, ask your doctor for a note. You don’t strictly have to have a disability rating, but it helps. Having some sort of medical documentation is key if you’re going to try to get a disability waiver.

Also, see if you’re eligible for any other exemption. You need to know whether you are exempt or whether this is something you have to follow. If you do have to follow it, you need to understand the 80-hour rule and follow your state closely for information on when it starts, how you prove participation, and all of those details.

We’re going to try to do a state-specific series on our Fast Facts by Low Income Relief channel, but I’m not entirely sure we’ll be able to get them all out in time because we’re currently going through all the E&T paperwork over there.

Next, make sure your contact information is updated so the state can reach you. If they can’t reach you, you could get cut off without realizing it because the notice they’re sending won’t reach you.

Please log into your state SNAP portal or call and confirm that your address, phone number, and email address are current so they can contact you if they need to.

If you do need to work to meet these requirements, please check out the SNAP Education and Training program. We did a video on it here on this channel about a week ago, and we’re doing more detailed state-specific deep dives on Fast Facts by Low Income Relief.

Some states are offering thousands of dollars for laptops. They’ll help pay for internet connection, gas cards, car repairs, uniforms, training, materials, and tuition. There is so much help available through this program.

Forty-one states have just released new plans that, as far as I’ve seen so far, improve their offerings to make it easier for you to get the support you need to get to work. Rather than lose your SNAP benefits, please go check out this program. It can be life-changing.

I realize this is probably the last thing on your mind, but we do partner with Amazon and Walmart, and they both offer EBT discounts on their subscription services. We’ll put those links in the description below if you’re interested.

If not, please go watch our video on the SNAP Education and Training programs because they are amazing.

We’ll be back soon with more ways you can save money and get free stuff. Stay safe out there, my friends.

Dozens of tech companies are offering the federal government sweet, sweet discounts to bring more AI to your Medicaid benefits, but not very many people are talking about what’s going on and what this means for you as someone who relies on Medicaid.

So today, we’re going to dive into why these changes are being made, what companies are trying to get involved in your Medicaid coverage, what that involvement might look like, what they’re going to do, and so on, so that you have all the information you need to be prepared.

This is a transcript of our video. You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel: Low Income Relief.

Why This Is Happening

First, I want to talk a little bit about why this is happening.

As you probably know, last year Congress passed some pretty big bills that made huge changes to Medicaid, including adding those new community engagement requirements. They call it community engagement. The rest of us pretty much call it what it is, which is work requirements. They’re going to be forcing more people to work in order to keep those benefits.

Once these community engagement requirements go into effect, you’ll have to log 80 hours a month in order to continue those benefits. Those hours can be achieved through work, attending school, volunteering in the community, participating in job training programs, or mixing and matching any of those things. They want you doing that for about 20 hours a week, or 80 hours a month, going forward.

Those changes are supposed to go into effect on January 1st, 2027, or earlier. Some states are rolling this out before that deadline, but a lot of states are taking this time during 2026 to gear up and prepare their systems to manage these new work requirements because that’s a lot more paperwork than they’ve been doing.

So, enter your friendly neighborhood tech company.

Together, these companies have pledged over $600 million in tech help to the government to make this easier. This money is coming in the form of free or discounted software to help states build more tracking systems.

I know with the rollout of AI, I’ve heard from a lot of you who are concerned about this. So I wanted to make sure we were upfront and open about what this might mean.

As of right now, there are over 18 companies involved. Some of them are pretty major vendors. There are some names in here you’re going to recognize. The money being used here is going toward upgrading state computer systems. None of this funding is going to go directly to those of you who get Medicaid. I just want to be really clear on that point.

If you’re wondering why all of these tech companies are getting involved, it’s not necessarily out of the goodness of their hearts. I looked over a lot of the details, and many of them are giving states a discount so that it’s “just” $2 million, which is still a pretty sizable contract. There’s a lot in it for the tech companies as well.

Which Companies Are Involved

We showed a list of the different companies that have made pledges so far, and you can see some pretty common names like Deloitte, Equifax, and Experian. Those are your credit bureaus. Then you’ve got Google, TransUnion, ID.me, and lots of other big names as well.

These are the ones that have made pledges. States are not necessarily required to use any specific company as a result of this, but other companies are still trying to edge in on this as well. Some that are currently on an expedited path to try to get involved include names like Fortuna Health, Optum, and FindHelp.

If you’re wondering what these companies plan to do exactly with the government, that information is pretty open on the CMS website. A fact sheet was published at the end of January. It lists the vendors and breaks it down by company to explain what they have in mind.

You’ll see a lot of talk about automation and advanced technologies, basically things that sound a lot like AI tracking Medicaid users. Some companies are highlighting tools that can help support fraud, waste, and abuse detection. That’s something the government has really been focused on.

For example, one listing says licensing will be provided at no cost to each state through 2028. After 2028, I’m sure that price is going to go up, which will likely reward companies like Accentra Health for helping states get started with this. So like I said, there’s definitely something in it for these tech companies as well.

You’ll also see things like AI-driven fraud tools delivered at cost to states, discounted one-time implementation costs of $2 million per state, core technology changes, service credits, and verification hubs that can access multiple data sources. Some offer no-cost installation in year one. Others are offering outreach platforms and additional tools.

One thing that might be relevant to some of you is that Gainwell is talking about medical frailty logic. That’s something they’re looking to verify as well.

If you’re interested in all of these details, they’re pretty clearly laid out on the cms.gov website if you’d like to read through it yourself.

How This Could Affect Your Data

As you can see in that documentation, a lot of this comes down to your data being cross-checked automatically. That may include things like employment records, credit bureaus, and identity platforms like ID.me. They’re going to be looking to verify employment and also looking for waste, fraud, and abuse—any mismatches in what you’re telling them versus what other records show.

That can be especially impactful if they’re drawing automatically from credit bureaus. A lot of this comes down to using AI and automated tools to fact-check and cross-check your data.

They may compare what you’re telling the Medicaid office to what your employment records show, or what you’ve told lenders when applying for loans, which can end up reflected in credit bureau data. That information could be used for cross-checking going forward.

Some of the data they may cross-check includes whether you’re really enrolled in school, whether you’re really working that many hours, whether you’re reporting the same amount of income everywhere, and whether you’re participating in SNAP as well as Medicaid.

It was pretty clear that AI will be used to flag applications. That’s my interpretation of all the “waste, fraud, and abuse” language. It sounds like they will be using a lot of automation and AI to make that possible.

This means that going forward, your state may use a computer, not a person, to flag cases for review.

The data sharing is supposed to be consent-based, based on what I read. However, in many benefit programs, you consent when you sign your application or other paperwork, and you may not realize that you’re giving them permission to cross-check your data with automated systems.

I am not a lawyer, but it would make sense to me that some of that consent may already have been given because they already have to verify information. If I were on Medicaid, I wouldn’t assume I could just refuse consent and be fine. I really doubt that’s how that would work. Again, I’m not a lawyer, not a social worker, not a caseworker, and I don’t work for the government. I can’t say for sure, but it seems reasonable to think that some level of consent has already been built into existing documentation.

So just bear that in mind as things move forward.

The integration of this technology could also change what you report and how you report it. You may see new online portals, mobile apps, and automated phone lines. There may be more automation so that you don’t have to report as much manually. A lot of that will depend on how your state chooses to integrate this technology.

Just because a provider is listed on the federal CMS website doesn’t mean your state has to use that provider. States still have the ability to choose. CMS is simply listing the companies that have agreed to make concessions to make services cheaper.

What This Does Not Mean

I want you to understand a few important things.

Medicaid is not ending. Benefits are not being automatically cut across the board. These new rules are not active yet in most states.

Some of these tech providers may already be operating in certain states, but not necessarily all states. It does look like states are still building out these systems and working to integrate more of this technology. Those rules are supposed to go live by January 2027, and we’ll see how that goes as things progress.

Some states are implementing changes sooner. Make sure you’re watching your phone and your mail. Your state Medicaid office will send you notices about new requirements. Do not ignore letters or texts from Medicaid. Missing a deadline can put your coverage at risk, and I don’t want that to happen to you.

Also, those work requirements do not apply to everyone on Medicaid. The rules apply only to certain adults. Many people will be automatically exempt.

For example, if you have a disability, if you’re pregnant, if you’re a caregiver of a young child or a family member, or if you are considered medically frail, those are all reasons you can get an exemption and not have to worry about these work requirements. Each state does its own thing, though, so watch for those Medicaid letters so you don’t miss details for your area.

What You Should Do Now

First, make sure your contact information is updated with the Medicaid office. If they can’t reach you, they can’t update you about changes.

Second, watch for state notices. They will announce rules and timelines. Sometimes those announcements happen quietly, and you have to be proactive about checking their website and press releases. That’s what we do. If you stay subscribed here, we’ll do our best to help you stay on top of that information.

We also do a lot more state-specific deep dives on our second channel, Fast Facts by Low Income Relief. That’s where we put a lot of our state-by-state information.

Third, know your exemptions. If your situation qualifies you to be exempt, make sure you have documentation so you can secure that exemption as quickly as possible.

If you need help, contact your local Medicaid office or a benefits counselor. I am not one. I’m not licensed to help with specific cases. I’m just a researcher who’s here to make sure you don’t miss any updates.

If you are dual eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare, definitely give Chapter a call with any questions or concerns. They are fantastic. Calls take an average of about 20 minutes, and they’ve been amazing at answering my questions. I highly recommend giving them a call. That’s for people who get Medicare. If you get both Medicare and Medicaid, they can help you. If it’s just Medicaid, there’s not a lot they can do.

I hope this has been helpful to you. Please check out our other videos on the changes coming to Social Security and SNAP and everything else. It’s been a very busy week catching up on all of those updates. If you go to our channel and look at the recent videos, we’ve got a lot of other news for you.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the content on this website are solely those of the content creators and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. All content is intended for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes only and should not be interpreted as official positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter disclaims any liability for actions taken based on this content.

If you need assistance with Medicare, please reach out to Medicare, your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP), your current Medicare insurance agent/broker/plan, or contact our Medicare partner, Chapter, at 417-319-2139 or visit their website at https://lirlinks.com/chapter. Chapter: Memoir, Inc. d/b/a Chapter is a privately owned, data- and technology-enabled advisory service helping older Americans navigate retirement. Insurance agency services are provided by Chapter Advisory, LLC, a licensed health insurance agency and wholly owned subsidiary of Memoir, Inc. In California, Chapter Advisory, LLC does business as Chapter Insurance Services (Lic. No. 6003691).Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations as well as stand-alone prescription drug plans with Medicare contracts. Enrollment depends on the renewal of those contracts. While Chapter maintains a comprehensive database of Medicare plans nationwide and assists in searching all options, Chapter has contracts with many, but not all, plans. Therefore, Chapter does not offer every plan available in your area. Chapter recommends plans even if they are not directly offered through Chapter. For complete Medicare plan options, please visit Medicare.gov, call 1-800-Medicare, or contact your local SHIP office.

If you rely on SNAP benefits, or really any of the food programs that come out of the USDA, you need to pay attention to this.

The House Agriculture Committee has finally released the first version of the new farm bill. We haven’t seen one of these since 2018. This bill is supposed to last for five years and govern all the nutrition programs and everything that the USDA does, but they’ve just been extending the old one over and over again. Now we’re finally seeing a new version take shape.

There is a lot of change in here that you’re going to want to know about. Fortunately, most of these changes seem really positive for low-income families, but some of them I have concerns about, and we’re going to get to those in a little bit. So make sure you pay attention to that segment when we get there.

What we know for now is that this new farm bill covers all 12 titles. The committee is still debating and amending the bill right now. They’re supposed to mark it up this week. So it has not passed yet. It is not official. It could still change and be adjusted over time, but we are now getting our first look at what they want to do to these critical nutrition programs.

We’re going to go over all of the impacts to SNAP, commodities, the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, school meals—all of it—in this video because I read through the whole nutrition section to make sure we didn’t miss anything.

I would love to hear from you: what USDA program are you most interested in? SNAP? SFMNP? Commodity programs? School meals? Let us know in the comments because that helps inform us about what videos we need to be making for you.

This is a transcript of our video. You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel: Low Income Relief.

SNAP Changes In The New Farm Bill

SNAP, of course, is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It used to be called food stamps. This program is pretty universal and helps a lot of people.

Through this new farm bill, there are going to be some upgrades made to SNAP.

You may have heard me talk about GusNIP before, but it may have been called things like Double Up Food Bucks, Market Match, or DUFB. There are a ton of different names for the programs that run these incentives, but essentially they give you more food money when you buy the right food items at the right retailers. It’s a great way to make the most of your SNAP benefits.

Previously, you could only get those incentives if you bought fresh fruits and vegetables—usually from farmers markets, but sometimes grocery stores—and they had to be fresh and locally grown. Now they are updating GusNIP so that all forms count. Whether your fruits and veggies are fresh, frozen, canned, or even dried, they can qualify. They want to create more options that are available year-round so it’s not just seasonal, which is great.

They’ve also said that usually the federal government and the state split the cost of this program 50/50, but there is a waiver option for areas that have high persistent poverty. In those areas, the federal government will cover more of the cost and hopefully make these programs more widely available to those who need them.

In addition to that, the fluid milk incentive is being expanded and rebranded. We did a video on this program recently about how you can get extra EBT if you buy the right milk products, which is really exciting. Most people don’t know that these programs exist, and that’s what Low Income Relief is all about. We’re here to find these programs for you so that you know about them and can use them to make things a little easier.

Basically, they’re rebranding the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive to the Dairy Nutrition Incentive, and they are adding cheese as an option. Blocks, shreds, slices, string cheese—if it’s pasteurized and protein-rich, it can qualify for this incentive.

They’re also expanding the types of milk that are covered. Any pasteurized liquid cow’s milk with vitamins A and D will now be included, and they’re giving more funding to this program as well. So if you have a provider in your area that’s offering the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive, now called the Dairy Nutrition Incentive, definitely pay attention because it can help your SNAP benefits go further.

They’re also making it so that animal protein is now eligible for certain incentive programs, which means you may be able to buy meat under some of these programs. It wasn’t clear exactly how or when that will be incorporated, but it is being added to the list, and that is very exciting.

Another big change is that the SNAP online shopping pilot would be made permanent. If you’ve been shopping online at Amazon or Walmart with your SNAP benefits, you probably thought that was just a done deal. But it was actually a temporary pilot program. This new farm bill would make it permanent and nationwide so everyone can shop online with their SNAP benefits.

The online purchasing pilot has been great for people with disabilities and those who live in rural areas, so it’s exciting to see that made permanent.

New SNAP Security Rules

One of the biggest concerns lately—both with online shopping and in-person shopping with EBT—has been the high rates of fraud. People are getting their accounts stolen left and right, and it’s incredibly frustrating.

One of the best parts of this new farm bill, in my opinion, is the new security rules they want to move forward with. The farm bill says the USDA has to propose new security regulations within six months of the bill passing in order to better protect your card and benefits.

This doesn’t fix benefits that have already been stolen, but it creates stronger rules that can hopefully protect you from future theft. That is something we very badly need.

In addition to that, the new farm bill allows states to hire additional help when they have high backlogs of SNAP cases. During emergencies, disasters, or application surges, states would be authorized to hire contractors—as long as those contractors are not rewarded for denying or delaying benefits and do not have financial connections to SNAP retailers.

Hopefully, that will reduce the wait times we’ve seen in some states where people have had to wait months to get help.

SNAP Changes That Raise Concerns

Now let’s talk about a couple of changes I’m less enthusiastic about.

When I first started diving into what was in the farm bill, I was concerned to see that one of the marker bills included was the SNAP Back Inaccurate SNAP Payments Act. You might remember that from a few years ago when we talked about it here on the channel.

That act was designed to put more pressure on states about any level of error in their calculations and then pass that pressure on to you in the form of clawbacks. Even if you were only overpaid by a dollar or $10 a month, they were going to get aggressive about getting that money back.

Fortunately, as I dove into the farm bill itself, it looked like they didn’t include those penalties for states or the high-pressure language about clawing that money back from families. Instead, they are including the portion that makes the federal government track overpayments differently.

Right now, to count as a SNAP payment error, it has to be over about $57 or $58 a month to count toward the official error rate. They’re going to start tracking smaller errors separately. It’s not going to count against the official error rate, and they’re not changing the tolerance levels or adding new family penalties. Thank goodness, because I was really worried about that.

Another change that makes me wonder what’s coming down the road is that Congress is adding language that redefines the purpose of SNAP. They want to change it so that SNAP is supposed to support the prevention of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and high health care costs.

This doesn’t necessarily make substantive changes to the program right now, but it does signal future decisions on nutrition rules, retailer standards, and what foods you may or may not be allowed to buy.

Here is the direct quote from the farm bill draft on the House Agriculture Committee website:

“Congress recognizes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program allows low-income households to obtain supplemental food for an active, healthy life that supports the prevention of diet-related chronic disease, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer, disability, premature death, unsustainable health care costs, and undermining of military readiness.”

Like I said, inherently it doesn’t sound bad. Of course we want to avoid those outcomes. However, it does seem to indicate a shift in the definition of the purpose of SNAP and the direction the program may be headed in terms of more control over purchases and things like that.

Senior And Other USDA Program Updates

The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program is one of my all-time favorites. It gives seniors over a certain age who meet the income requirements a voucher to take to their local farmers markets to get fresh, healthy foods. Usually those are valued at around $50 per year.

This farm bill would expand the list of items you can purchase with those vouchers. Previously, it was focused mainly on fruits and vegetables. Now it would include fresh herbs, maple syrup, and tree nuts as well. Some states had already carved out those allowances, but this would make it official nationwide.

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which delivers a box of food to eligible seniors, will also be continued. I had heard some rumors that it might be ending, but it is included in this farm bill.

There are two new additions to that program. The first is a delivery pilot, which means they’ll fund organizations to bring those boxes directly to you instead of making you go pick them up at a location or time that may be inconvenient or even impossible.

The second is a pilot program that allows tribal organizations to have more control over the foods they purchase and distribute in their areas.

We also see changes for school meals, including a new rule that schools have to buy at least 95% American-grown food. They also cannot buy poultry or seafood from China or Russia.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program, which helps food banks and pantries, is continuing, and so is the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.

Make Your Voice Heard

As we wrap up, I just want to thank you for your participation in making this farm bill a reality. Over the last couple of years, we’ve been talking about a lot of the different marker bills proposed for the SNAP program. I know many of you have reached out to your representatives and made your voices heard.

Marker bills are small bills that lawmakers hope to wrap into a bigger piece of legislation like the farm bill. As a result of all this advocacy, we’re seeing some things included and some things not included.

I don’t want you to stop now. You can make your voice heard today, either in support of this farm bill or against it—however you feel personally. You can call the Capitol switchboard and tell your representative what you support and what you oppose.

As of the time I’m recording this, the farm bill is still in committee and currently being marked up. You can also reach out to the House Agriculture Committee and let them know what you think about the bill.

And of course, one of the easiest things you can do is share this video so others can know what’s going on and share their opinions, too.

I hope this has been helpful and that you feel a little more prepared for what’s coming next. And if you’re worried about new work requirements coming to SNAP, please go watch our recent video on that. We have a lot of good information for you.

If you rely on Social Security, you need to know about the changes coming on March 7th because they’re going to fundamentally change how you interact with the Social Security Administration. There are a lot of pros and cons to it, so I hope you’ll stick with me.

Right now, the level of service you receive from the Social Security Administration is often dictated by where you live. If you live in an area with a lot of retirees and a lot of people who deal with Social Security, you often have longer waits and more difficult access. But if you live in an area where your local office is empty most of the time, you get faster service and easier appointments.

Of course, the case they’re making now is that your location shouldn’t dictate your access to Social Security. So they are trying to create a new national system that is faster and fairer for everyone. But things don’t always go as easily as the government would like. This new change is going to create some definite pros and cons. It’s going to be great for some people and really difficult for others. That’s what we’re going to break down here today.

This is a transcript of our video. You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel: Low Income Relief.

How The System Works Right Now

Before March 7th, most of your business is done with your local office. Your appointment is tied to your nearest Social Security office. You’re tied to their calendar and what they have available, and the staffing of that office can really dictate what your wait times look like.

They want to shift to a new national system. They’re introducing two things. The first one is called the National Appointment Scheduling Calendar. This will be one calendar for the whole country. The other is the National Workload Management System. This allows cases to go to any available worker, not just the one in your local office.

Basically, they’re shifting from a local-first to a national-first processing system.

What The New National System Means

With the new calendar, you’ll be able to schedule yourself at ssa.gov. You won’t need to make a phone call, and you’ll be able to pick the first available slot anywhere in the country.

Of course, you’re not going to be driving to an appointment anywhere in the country. If you’re in Ohio and the first available appointment is in Texas, that’s going to be a phone call or a virtual meeting. It’s not going to be an in-person appointment. That’s something to be aware of, especially for those of you who prefer face-to-face appointments.

The National Workload Management System is similar. Your paperwork may now be handled by an employee in another state—whoever is available and trained for your type of case. Again, that means a lot of those interactions will be held virtually or over the phone if you need to communicate with that person.

Why This Is Happening

Staffing is at a 50-year low. There are fewer workers per beneficiary now than before. About 7,000 people were cut from the Social Security Administration in the last year or so. Their stated goal is to cut in-person visits by half this year.

If you can do it digitally or over the phone, that’s what they’re going to push you toward because they really want to cut how many people are coming into the office for that face-to-face service.

That sounds good in theory, at least to some people, but the reality is that this could hit low-income seniors and families hard.

First, there’s a massive digital divide, both generationally and on an income basis. It’s harder for lower-income people to have the tech required to use some of these services. It can also be difficult to navigate, and it can open people up to scams. There are a lot of concerns with moving something as sensitive as Social Security to an all-online system.

The next concern is longer hold times. I know they’re doing this to cut hold times and wait times for a lot of people, but if you’re in an area where the wait times are already low, other people are going to have lower wait times because yours may get longer. That’s how it balances out, if that makes sense.

Then, of course, local services are going to get more complicated. If your friendly neighborhood Social Security expert was referring you to food banks and other services, that might not be a thing anymore. If it’s nationwide and you’re being served by someone in another state, they might be less familiar with state-by-state nuances as well.

The Good News

There is some good news. Your benefits are going to stay the same. They’re not cutting your benefits or anything like that. They’re just trying to streamline the back end of how Social Security works.

Your eligibility rules are not changing. Field offices are staying open. They’re not closing. They’re just prioritizing scheduled visits, and your local office may end up serving people in other states.

If you’re used to being able to get in quickly, you may find that wait times are longer or shorter depending on where you live and what scheduling has looked like for you personally.

What You Should Do Now

If you’re concerned about this, there are a few things you can do right now.

Create a my Social Security account so you’re prepared to book appointments online and use that system. They’re saying that over 100 million people have already signed up, and that’s really what they’re leaning into right now—getting more people on that system.

Schedule early. If you want to make sure you’re seeing someone in your local office, you should probably schedule that before March 7th hits and those new systems go online.

Make sure you’re recording case details. If you talk to somebody, write down their name and employee information, and try to note where they are if you can. It’s not going to be as easy as going down to your local office and saying, “Hey, I talked to that guy,” because it may not be that guy.

And of course, if you have any questions regarding Medicare, our sponsor, Chapter, is absolutely amazing at getting those questions answered for you. You can see their number down here or over there. It’s always free to call Chapter and ask your questions. They are licensed Medicare advisers, and they are extremely helpful. They’re the ones I go to with all the questions I have.

Please go check them out. And I would encourage you to check out our recent video on the bills you don’t have to pay if you’re low income.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the content on this website are solely those of the content creators and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. All content is intended for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes only and should not be interpreted as official positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter disclaims any liability for actions taken based on this content.

If you need assistance with Medicare, please reach out to Medicare, your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP), your current Medicare insurance agent/broker/plan, or contact our Medicare partner, Chapter, at 417-319-2139 or visit their website at https://lirlinks.com/chapter. Chapter: Memoir, Inc. d/b/a Chapter is a privately owned, data- and technology-enabled advisory service helping older Americans navigate retirement. Insurance agency services are provided by Chapter Advisory, LLC, a licensed health insurance agency and wholly owned subsidiary of Memoir, Inc. In California, Chapter Advisory, LLC does business as Chapter Insurance Services (Lic. No. 6003691).Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations as well as stand-alone prescription drug plans with Medicare contracts. Enrollment depends on the renewal of those contracts. While Chapter maintains a comprehensive database of Medicare plans nationwide and assists in searching all options, Chapter has contracts with many, but not all, plans. Therefore, Chapter does not offer every plan available in your area. Chapter recommends plans even if they are not directly offered through Chapter. For complete Medicare plan options, please visit Medicare.gov, call 1-800-Medicare, or contact your local SHIP office.

If you receive Social Security in any of its forms, today we have an update that’s going to affect you. We’re going to be talking about that March payment schedule, as well as some other major changes that have happened recently at Social Security, new privacy concerns, timelines, and all sorts of different things. So let’s dive into what every Social Security beneficiary needs to know right now.

This is a transcript of our video. You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel: Low Income Relief.

New Privacy Changes At Social Security

We’re going to start with some privacy news. You may have seen a recent Common Dreams report that talked about how the Social Security Administration will now be directing workers to share appointment information with ICE—that’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This is a major shift in how your private data is handled.

This is not likely to affect you if you’re a U.S. citizen. However, if you bring a non-citizen relative to translate, or if you have family members who lack documentation, I thought you may want to be aware of that change.

We’re going to get into some more data-sharing changes they’re making here in just a minute that are going to affect people on disability and so on and so forth, but I wanted to let you know about that right as we begin.

March Social Security Payment Schedule

Now let’s talk about that March payment schedule.

If you are on SSI, by now you’ve probably seen loads of misleading headlines about how you’re not getting paid in the month of March. That is technically true because your check is going to hit a little bit early, since March 1st is on a Sunday.

If you’ve been on SSI for any length of time, then you already know that’s how it works. When weekends and holidays hit, your payment comes a little bit early.

Because April 1st is on a Wednesday, that means you will be receiving an SSI check on February 27th and then not again until April 1st. That’s where those headlines about no payments in March are coming from.

If you receive SSI and other forms of Social Security, like disability, or if you were receiving your Social Security benefits prior to 1997, you will get those payments on Tuesday, March 3rd.

For the rest of you who are on the Wednesday schedule, depending on the day of your birthday, you will receive those benefits on March 11th, March 18th, or March 25th, as shown in our table.

New Data-Sharing Initiative (TEFCA)

Now that we’ve got those payment dates out of the way, let’s talk about this data-sharing initiative they’re working on.

The Social Security Administration just joined TEFCA. That stands for the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement. This is a program that allows different agencies to share your health information electronically and access your medical records.

This is basically a digital express lane that’s going to help you avoid mailing paper that might get lost in a warehouse or be hard to find. It’s supposed to streamline things for beneficiaries.

But I know we’ve had a lot of concerns lately about data sharing from the Social Security Administration. In fact, I saw a headline just this morning about how the DOJ made a statement that seemed to corroborate that DOGE had mishandled Social Security data and potentially exposed a lot of information.

Whenever it comes to consolidating information, breaking down silos between agencies, or getting all of your data accessible in one place, it’s generally helpful because it reduces paperwork. But it also puts that data at greater risk because it’s easier for hackers to get to it.

As a result of this TEFCA integration, they’re saying disability decisions could be made much faster. It could cut that wait time in half. That’s the good news.

The less good news is that it could potentially put your data at risk. There could be more data shared than you wanted. They do say that TEFCA is secure. It’s a network of networks, and they’re saying it shouldn’t cause any issues.

But then again, we shouldn’t have seen some of the issues we saw earlier, either. So you never really know, unfortunately.

Your Questions Answered

I love it when you ask us questions, and we want to do our best to answer those. We went through our recent comments to pull out questions related to Social Security.

Karen asked about the death benefit. She said, “Do you know if a person can go back to Social Security years later and get that $255 death benefit if they are the beneficiary?”

The answer is yes, depending on how long it’s been. There is a strict deadline. You have a two-year window after your loved one passes away to claim that death benefit. If you wait longer than two years, you can’t get it. So if you’re within that two-year window, contact Social Security immediately to begin that claim.

Shantae asked when the $200 boost will begin. Specifically, she said, “When will the $200 be added to Social Security in general? What is the update with the stimulus or the tariff checks? Is there any new information?”

Unfortunately, we don’t have any new information on any of those things yet. Nothing has been formally approved. That $200 Social Security increase we were really hoping to see never moved out of committee, so nothing is official there. There are no confirmed stimulus or tariff checks coming at this time, either. Right now, it’s all just talk.

If anything changes in that regard, you’d better believe we will be right here on YouTube telling you all of those details. But as of right now, you can’t really count on those.

I know that’s discouraging, and I know a lot of you really need more assistance than you’re getting. I don’t want you to despair. There are all sorts of legitimate assistance programs out there that are still operating. They’re just a little more complicated. That’s basically the entire purpose of our channel—finding those and bringing them to you to make them easier to use.

If you’re having difficulty with certain expenses or need more breathing room in your budget, I would really encourage you to go through some of our older videos to find other forms of assistance you may qualify for.

If you have a question like Karen or Shantae, drop it in the comments of our videos. When we’re creating videos now, we go through those comments and look to see what we can answer for you. If you send us an email, we can’t catch that in our searches. The best way to get your questions answered by me directly is to put them in the comments.

You’re still welcome to email our team if there’s more sensitive information you don’t want to share publicly. Just be aware that it takes us longer to answer emails than it does to answer YouTube comments.

Setting Up A My Social Security Account

Wayne asked, “Can you help me make an online Social Security account, the my Social Security account?”

Unfortunately, I can’t help you set that up directly. I recommend asking a trusted family member, maybe a tech-savvy grandchild or relative, to help you. If you don’t have someone you trust or who’s easily available, you can also reach out for assistance at your local senior center or your local library. A lot of times they have volunteers who can help you.

You will need to verify your identity through ID.me as part of that setup. That requires a smartphone or a computer with a camera, and you’ll also need your ID.

We know that over 100 million people have set up these accounts now, and they’re definitely celebrating that achievement. A lot of people are finding it’s worth the effort to jump through these hoops because then you can check your benefits, update your information, get tax forms, and so on without waiting on hold or visiting an office.

That being said, I know the setup can be a headache. So definitely reach out to your library, your local senior center, or your Area Agency on Aging to see if you can get some in-person help.

Extra Help And Resources

If you need help applying for SSDI, we have a sponsor that can help you. They’ll do a free claim review to see what you might be eligible for, and they may even be able to help you get in contact with an attorney who can help with your case.

As always, our incredible sponsor, Chapter, is available to answer any of your Medicare questions. They are a fantastic resource. I talk to them all the time when I have questions. They are very helpful, and the conversations are always free. I recommend giving them a call about anything Medicare-related.

With that in mind, I’d like to point you to some of the other resources we’ve put out recently. For example, we did a great video on how accepting help from your family can cut your SSI check by a third. If you’re on SSI, you definitely want to check that out to make sure you have that information and you’re not putting your benefits at risk.

We’ll be back soon with more Social Security news for you. I hope this has been helpful. Please share it with someone who may benefit, and don’t forget to drop those comments below so we can get those answered for you soon.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the content on this website are solely those of the content creators and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. All content is intended for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes only and should not be interpreted as official positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter disclaims any liability for actions taken based on this content.

If you need assistance with Medicare, please reach out to Medicare, your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP), your current Medicare insurance agent/broker/plan, or contact our Medicare partner, Chapter, at 417-319-2139 or visit their website at https://lirlinks.com/chapter. Chapter: Memoir, Inc. d/b/a Chapter is a privately owned, data- and technology-enabled advisory service helping older Americans navigate retirement. Insurance agency services are provided by Chapter Advisory, LLC, a licensed health insurance agency and wholly owned subsidiary of Memoir, Inc. In California, Chapter Advisory, LLC does business as Chapter Insurance Services (Lic. No. 6003691).Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations as well as stand-alone prescription drug plans with Medicare contracts. Enrollment depends on the renewal of those contracts. While Chapter maintains a comprehensive database of Medicare plans nationwide and assists in searching all options, Chapter has contracts with many, but not all, plans. Therefore, Chapter does not offer every plan available in your area. Chapter recommends plans even if they are not directly offered through Chapter. For complete Medicare plan options, please visit Medicare.gov, call 1-800-Medicare, or contact your local SHIP office.

The government just dumped years of Medicaid spending into a public database and encouraged people to comb through it. Today, I’m going to show you what is in there and the hidden ways that it may impact care.

Now, if you’re on Medicaid, you’re used to feeling like a number. This new database can feel like one more way to judge you without even talking to you. So I want to start by talking about what was actually released.

This is a transcript of our video. You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel: Low Income Relief.

What Was Released

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Government Efficiency, which used to be led by Elon Musk, released what they are calling the largest open-source Medicaid data set ever.

The reason they are doing this is because they want the public’s help going through all of this data and looking for fraud. They have released the information and are encouraging the public to dig in and try to find as much fraud as they can.

Naturally, the next question that many Medicaid recipients have is, “Is my name in there? Is my data in there?” The answer to that, mercifully, is no.

This database is full of provider-level data, not a patient list. It’s going to show how much different clinics and doctors are billing the system. It should not contain your name, Social Security number, or home address, but it still could impact your coverage, and we’re going to talk about how in just a minute.

In the meantime, I want to encourage you to keep your letters from Medicaid and your explanations of benefits. If your clinic gets flagged, it shouldn’t affect you, but just for peace of mind, it might be helpful to have those receipts at some point down the road, just in case something happens.

Why They Say They’re Doing This

The official reason for this is that officials are alleging that Medicaid suffers from large-scale waste, fraud, and abuse. We’ve been hearing that term a lot over the last 12 months or so. They’re saying that traditional audits are too slow, that there’s too much data there, and that they need help going through it.

Politically, some are saying that this is also intended to help demonstrate the Department of Government Efficiency’s value and justify tougher oversight. They’re also saying that crowdsourcing lets outside analysts run analyses that government teams don’t have the capacity for. So basically, they’re outsourcing a lot of that manpower and encouraging the public to get involved.

If you enjoy going through data, you might actually enjoy looking at this because they’re going to offer people a cut of the fraud they find.

You can see their process outlined, and one interesting detail is that anyone can download that data and hunt for anomalies. Whistleblowers exposing fraud could receive between 10% to 30% of the collected fines, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. So there is an incentive here for people who want to dig in and look for this. If you enjoy looking at data, you might want to have a go at it.

How This Could Affect Your Care

The main way that this might affect you is by making it harder to get care. As someone who’s relied on Medicaid in the past, it’s already really hard to find care with Medicaid in a lot of cases. That is a much bigger concern than a lot of people realize, especially if they’ve never relied on Medicaid before.

For providers and clinics, it means that their billing patterns are now visible. Any outlier numbers could trigger audits, media scrutiny, or social media callouts, especially because people have a financial incentive for uncovering fraud. That could lead to false accusations as people look for quick ways to make some extra money.

For taxpayers and observers, it does mean there is more transparency on how Medicaid funding is used. But a lot of those headlines saying “billions in fraud” are relying on models, not necessarily on hard data. Whether or not this is actually a reliable way of detecting fraud remains to be seen.

On a bigger scale, we know that we’ve been hearing the phrase “waste, fraud, and abuse” for over a year now. A lot of critics have warned that these big-dollar headlines could be used to justify federal spending cuts or to tighten eligibility rules for Medicaid altogether, which is just another way of making it harder to get care.

This situation is new. I have never personally seen the government do anything like this, where they dump all of this information and then just ask the public to go through it. That seems a little odd.

We don’t know exactly what the full data set is going to look like, what kind of protections are in place for user identification, how public findings are going to get reported or reviewed, or how providers will react to this kind of scrutiny. We do know that there are ongoing battles about state versus federal control playing out in the courts, as different state attorneys general have sued DOGE over access to various systems.

Common-Sense Ways To Protect Yourself

I don’t expect that there will be any blowback on taxpayers as a result of these fraud investigations. It seems to me like they are going after providers because when you look at the way Medicaid fraud works, far and away the biggest problems come from providers who bill for care they never delivered, who bill outrageous amounts for services that weren’t really needed, and that sort of thing. That’s a provider problem, not a you problem.

However, we have seen that this administration is going after fraud, waste, and abuse in all of its forms, and we don’t know exactly what those actions may look like. Even though I’m not an attorney or a social worker or a financial adviser, I would personally recommend that you hang on to your paperwork—your Medicaid letters, your explanations of benefits, and that sort of thing.

If your provider, clinic, or doctor gets flagged for fraud, keeping that documentation might come in handy later on. I would assume that the clinic would have that as well, but I get kind of nervous about stuff and I would personally hang on to it. I’m not saying that that’s what you have to do, just that it might be useful.

The second thing is to take comfort in knowing what’s public. Your name and your Social Security number are not in this data set. Other headlines might try to scare you about that for clicks, but this is about provider billing data, not individual patient records.

If a clinic gets flagged, it’s possible that individual records could become a matter of scrutiny, but I wouldn’t expect that to be included in a data dump due to HIPAA and other policies.

The other thing is to watch for access changes. If your provider suddenly stops accepting Medicaid or starts tightening down on services, it might be due to the extra scrutiny from this data dump. Medicaid is under a lot of fire right now, and we’re seeing changes happen at all sorts of different layers of the program.

And of course, stay informed. We’ll do our best to keep you informed here as things change with Medicaid, and following other news sources might be helpful to you as well.

Final Thoughts

Don’t forget to reach out to our partner Chapter if you have any Medicare-specific questions. They are amazing at getting those answered for you, and that call is completely free. I’d encourage you to reach out to them with any questions you may have about Medicare.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the content on this website are solely those of the content creators and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. All content is intended for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes only and should not be interpreted as official positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter disclaims any liability for actions taken based on this content.

If you need assistance with Medicare, please reach out to Medicare, your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP), your current Medicare insurance agent/broker/plan, or contact our Medicare partner, Chapter, at 417-319-2139 or visit their website at https://lirlinks.com/chapter. Chapter: Memoir, Inc. d/b/a Chapter is a privately owned, data- and technology-enabled advisory service helping older Americans navigate retirement. Insurance agency services are provided by Chapter Advisory, LLC, a licensed health insurance agency and wholly owned subsidiary of Memoir, Inc. In California, Chapter Advisory, LLC does business as Chapter Insurance Services (Lic. No. 6003691).Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations as well as stand-alone prescription drug plans with Medicare contracts. Enrollment depends on the renewal of those contracts. While Chapter maintains a comprehensive database of Medicare plans nationwide and assists in searching all options, Chapter has contracts with many, but not all, plans. Therefore, Chapter does not offer every plan available in your area. Chapter recommends plans even if they are not directly offered through Chapter. For complete Medicare plan options, please visit Medicare.gov, call 1-800-Medicare, or contact your local SHIP office.

Medicaid is one of the only government programs that will send your kids a bill after you die. It’s called estate recovery, and it’s the number one reason why low-income seniors can’t pass down their homes.

You think you’re leaving your home to your kids, but the state is already standing in line to take it. It’s so frustrating.

Today we’re going to talk about what Medicaid estate recovery is, who’s at risk right now, and what you can do today to make sure this doesn’t hurt low-income families in the future. Because for the first time in 30 years, we actually have a chance to kill the Medicaid death tax for good.

This is a transcript of our video. You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel: Low Income Relief.

How Medicaid Estate Recovery Works

To understand what’s going on, you have to understand the trap.

Most people think that Medicaid is a benefit they earned just by being low income. But since 1993, the government decided that if you’re age 55 or older and Medicaid pays for your nursing home or your home-based care, you have to pay them back.

The Medicaid estate recovery rule says that if Medicaid pays for long-term care after age 55, the state must attempt to recover those costs from your estate after you pass away.

Here’s the catch: to qualify for Medicaid, you already have to be low income. You already have to meet income requirements and usually asset requirements. You’ve already had to spend down your savings. There’s not a lot left.

If you find yourself in this situation, usually the only thing you have left is your home.

So the state waits. They let you live there. They let your spouse live there. But the moment the last one of you passes away, they send your children a bill for every penny they spent on your care.

That means they can go after your home, your land, your bank accounts, and other assets that would go through probate to your heirs.

Too often, this leaves your children or heirs with absolutely nothing. As one of our viewers recently said, the heirs can’t even inherit anything until Medicaid takes their cut.

It’s a cycle that keeps low-income families poor for generations because it takes away the only wealth they could pass on.

Why So Many Seniors Are Afraid

That’s probably why you’ve heard things over the years like, “Medicaid will take everything from your family. They’ll put your kids on the street. They’ll go after every dime.”

Those are things we’ve heard in the comment section of our own videos. That’s why so many seniors are scared and why some choose not to use the benefits they may qualify for. They aren’t willing to risk their homes because they’re afraid their families might lose everything if they get the care they need.

That is heartbreaking, and it shouldn’t have to be that way.

There are some small comforts in the law. The state won’t take your home while you’re alive, and they usually won’t take it if your spouse is still living there after you pass away. But like I said, the second you’re both gone, they send a bill to your grieving children.

If they can’t pay it, which most low-income families can’t, the house usually has to be sold.

Enforcement Varies by State

To make matters even more complicated, enforcement isn’t even consistent across state lines. Some states are far more aggressive than others.

Some states, like Ohio, are famous for being hyper-aggressive. They don’t just go after your home; they go after everything in your name. In Iowa, the state hires private contractors—debt collectors—to go after families and pays those companies a percentage of what they claw back.

For my viewers in New York, advocate Natalie Keane recently warned that New York is one of the most aggressive states pursuing costs for all Medicaid services, not just long-term care. That’s even more than federal law requires.

This is why you feel like you’re being hunted down, because in some states, you actually are.

This is widely considered a poverty trap, and it’s not even that effective. Estate recovery only recovers about 1% of what Medicaid spends, but it causes 100% of the heartbreak for low-income families.

The Stop Unfair Medicaid Recoveries Act

So is there any hope?

Up until now, your only choice was to hire an expensive estate attorney, which most of us can’t afford. That’s a trick middle-income and wealthier people use to make sure their homes never end up in this situation. Five years before they think they’ll ever need long-term care, they set up a trust.

But if you’re low income and you don’t have $5,000 for a trust attorney, you’re the one the state is going to target.

That brings us to what I want to talk to you about today: the Stop Unfair Medicaid Recoveries Act.

Representative Jan Schakowsky introduced this new bill, HR 6951, on January 6 with a massive group of co-sponsors. They are calling Medicaid estate recoveries unjust and cruel. They’re hearing your stories—the same stories you’re sharing with us in the comments.

Now we need to help them get this bill across the finish line.

Here’s why this matters: this bill would change everything about Medicaid estate recovery. In fact, it would end it.

Right now, federal law requires every state to try to recover certain Medicaid costs from people over 55. States don’t get to opt out. This is mandatory.

If this new bill passes, it would remove that federal mandate. It wouldn’t exist anymore. States wouldn’t be forced to treat Medicaid like a loan for a low-income senior.

And the bill goes even further.

In Section 2, it adds language that says: “No adjustment or recovery of any medical assistance correctly paid may be initiated, maintained, or collected after this new law takes effect.”

Read that again. No recovery may be initiated, maintained, or collected.

That means not only would states stop starting new estate recovery claims, they would also have to stop ongoing ones.

It also gives states 90 days to withdraw any existing liens that are already in place and notify the individuals or their legal representatives that those liens have been removed.

In other words, if a lien has already been filed against your home under Medicaid estate recovery, this bill would require the state to pull it back, stop it, and shut it down.

That’s not a tweak. That’s not reform around the edges. That is a full repeal of mandatory Medicaid estate recovery and a rollback of existing liens.

What Happens Next

To be clear, this bill has just been introduced. It’s not a sure thing yet. It has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. It will need hearings. It will need votes. There are a lot of hoops it still has to jump through.

It could be amended. It could stall. It could change. That’s how Congress works.

But the language as written right now would effectively end mandatory Medicaid estate recovery at the federal level and shut down active recovery efforts. That’s huge. I cannot overstate that.

Whether this bill lives or dies depends on how much noise we make while it’s sitting in committee.

What You Can Do Right Now

First, check your own state’s rules. Right now, Medicaid is kind of a legal lottery.

States like California and Texas actually prohibit the state from going after your home after a surviving spouse dies. But states like Ohio, Iowa, and Massachusetts are famously aggressive. In some cases, they can even go after assets that don’t go through probate.

Search for your state’s Medicaid estate recovery hardship waiver. Many states have them for family homes or homes of modest value. They don’t exactly advertise that, so you may not know unless you look it up yourself.

Second, make a phone call.

HR 6951 is currently sitting in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. If your representative is on that committee, your voice is ten times louder—but everyone’s voice matters.

Find your representative’s information and send a short message. Say, “I’m a voter and I support the Stop Unfair Medicaid Recoveries Act. It’s time to stop treating healthcare for seniors like a predatory loan.”

When their phones ring about one specific bill, they notice.

Third, share this video. The biggest weapon the state has is our silence. Most people don’t even find out about estate recovery until the bill shows up after the funeral. We need to warn people now so they can help us fight for this repeal.

Finally, if you’re over 55 and on Medicaid right now, try not to panic. This bill hasn’t passed yet, so the old rules are still in effect. But there is hope. There’s a real plan on the table to change that.

I’ll be tracking this bill and updating you as it advances. In the meantime, check out our other videos for more ways to save money and get free stuff.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the content on this website are solely those of the content creators and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. All content is intended for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes only and should not be interpreted as official positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter disclaims any liability for actions taken based on this content.

If you need assistance with Medicare, please reach out to Medicare, your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP), your current Medicare insurance agent/broker/plan, or contact our Medicare partner, Chapter, at 417-319-2139 or visit their website at https://lirlinks.com/chapter. Chapter: Memoir, Inc. d/b/a Chapter is a privately owned, data- and technology-enabled advisory service helping older Americans navigate retirement. Insurance agency services are provided by Chapter Advisory, LLC, a licensed health insurance agency and wholly owned subsidiary of Memoir, Inc. In California, Chapter Advisory, LLC does business as Chapter Insurance Services (Lic. No. 6003691).Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations as well as stand-alone prescription drug plans with Medicare contracts. Enrollment depends on the renewal of those contracts. While Chapter maintains a comprehensive database of Medicare plans nationwide and assists in searching all options, Chapter has contracts with many, but not all, plans. Therefore, Chapter does not offer every plan available in your area. Chapter recommends plans even if they are not directly offered through Chapter. For complete Medicare plan options, please visit Medicare.gov, call 1-800-Medicare, or contact your local SHIP office.

I need to be completely honest with you.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been watching a literal flood of paperwork hit the USDA website. At first, I thought it was just a normal government document dump—like they were just putting new documentation out there. I saw one state plan come in, then five, then 20. And by the time we hit 41, my stomach dropped.

As I started reading the fine print in these new 2026 filings, I realized that what we were looking at was a coordinated, nationwide blueprint for a total overhaul of the SNAP program.

So while we’ve all been busy living our lives, your state has quietly handed over a new contract to the federal government—at least that’s true in 41 states.

This isn’t just about encouraging people to work anymore. This is a seismic shift in how the government views you, your time, and your grocery cart.

This is a transcript of our video. You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel: Low Income Relief.

The End Of “No Strings Attached” SNAP

The federal government has declared that as of February 1, 2026, the era of no-strings-attached food assistance is officially over.

If you are 55—or even 64 years old right now—you’re now expected to work at least 80 hours a month for your food benefits unless you meet very specific requirements for an exemption.

This is a big deal because for decades, especially for seniors, the magic age was 50, then 54. When you hit 55, the government basically said, “You’ve done your time. We’re not going to bother you about work.”

But that protection is now ending.

The One Big Beautiful Bill that passed last year just went into full effect this month, and you are now considered an able-bodied adult without dependents all the way until your 65th birthday—unless you meet specific exemption requirements.

I know some of you might be thinking, “But my town has no jobs. The factory closed 20 years ago. My town always has a waiver. It’s not going to apply to me.”

I’ve been hearing that a lot lately, and I have to tell you the hard truth I found in these filings: those free passes are over.

Federal law now effectively bans high-unemployment waivers unless the local rate is extremely high—like over 10%. I saw in the Maryland and DC plans that they are being forced to demand work even in neighborhoods where the jobs simply don’t exist. In fact, they’re being forced to turn on the work clock in neighborhoods that haven’t had an active work requirement since the ’90s.

If you’re getting letters about work requirements and you haven’t in a long time, this is why. Your state is basically being backed into a corner by the federal government, and they’re passing that pressure directly onto your EBT card because they don’t have much of a choice.

How SNAP Employment And Training (E&T) Will Enforce It

That’s the bad news. Now let’s talk about how the government plans to enforce this, because they’re going to use a program you’ve probably never heard of before: SNAP Employment and Training, or E&T.

You can think of SNAP E&T as the work requirement engine. In the past, it was mostly voluntary. But in these new 2026 plans, some states have said this will become the primary tool they use to track your compliance.

Every state handles SNAP E&T a little differently, but generally these programs have three main components.

1. Work Readiness Training
This isn’t just learning how to work. It can include digital literacy—how to use computer systems, navigate email, and handle the digital tools now required for most jobs. Some states even consider social media use part of work readiness at this point.

2. Workfare
This is the one I think a lot of people need to watch closely. Workfare means going to work for a nonprofit—like a food bank or animal shelter—or a government agency for no wages, just to keep your SNAP benefits. We’ll talk more about how that works in a minute.

3. Educational And Vocational Training
This is the good side. Some states are using this to pay for things like CDL licenses, nursing assistant certificates, and other career credentials.

In many of these new 2026 plans, E&T is no longer just an invitation or an option. In states like Louisiana, they’re ending the pilot phase and making it a permanent part of the workforce system.

Ohio is even implementing what they’re calling a “well-being score.” They’re not just counting your hours—they’re tracking financial literacy, family stability, and career progress to decide if you’re even eligible to enroll in SNAP E&T.

I know it’s hard when there’s so much variation at the state level. It makes this confusing to track and even discuss, because what’s relevant to one of you may not be relevant to all of you. That’s why we’re going to do a deep dive into each state’s E&T program on our Fast Facts by Low Income Relief channel over the next several weeks.

But in the meantime, there are a few things you need to know.

If you’re between the ages of 60 and 64, you really need to stick around, because you fall into a legal gray area that we’ll talk about in just a minute.

The Hidden Benefit: Supportive Services

Before we get into those technical details, I want to talk about something I found in the fine print that could actually make this program worthwhile for some of you.

These plans force states to pay for supportive services if they mandate you to work. In fact, it looks like if the state cannot cover your actual expenses, they may have to exempt you.

These expenses can include work uniforms, cell phone bills, laptops, and even car repairs. It just depends on your state.

Technology Support

Washington State has approved up to $700 per program year specifically for digital support, which can cover a device like a laptop or tablet. They can also cover accessories.

Iowa allows providers to purchase loaner laptops, tablets, and mobile hotspots so participants can maintain access to online programs.

Arizona offers up to $800 per year for technology, including cell phone service and hotspots.

Transportation And Car Repairs

Since it’s hard to get to work without a reliable vehicle, many states are authorizing car repair assistance.

Maine explicitly lists car repairs as a reimbursable expense paid directly to the repair shop and caps transportation reimbursement at $140 per week.

Oklahoma is offering up to $750 for emergency vehicle repairs to help you get to training.

Some states even cover gas costs. Tennessee offers gas cards in $25 increments up to $150 per month. Kentucky provides up to $25 per month in gas cards or bus passes in advance.

Uniforms, Fees, And Credentials

Delaware provides up to $150 per year for uniforms and professional attire for interviews.

Arizona pays for fingerprinting, background checks, and driver’s license fees if needed.

Tennessee has instituted a $1,000 training fund cap per participant that can be used for high-demand credentials like truck driving and certified nursing assistant licenses.

Florida is investing $750,000 into a youth career exploration program for high school students in high-poverty areas to get them into sectors like AI and manufacturing.

Increased Tracking And Automation

Not all of this is good news.

Many states are connecting their computer systems together, which means they’ll be tracking you more closely than before. That’s a double-edged sword. While increased automation can feel intrusive, states that still track this manually—like California and Oklahoma—may be more prone to mistakes.

Florida has built a system where the eligibility computer talks to the workforce computer through a nightly referral file. If you stop showing up to your assigned activity, the workforce system automatically alerts the benefit system to trigger non-compliance, which could cut off your benefits.

If that happens, you’ll have 10 days to report good cause for not participating.

In DC, Delaware, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania, if you are an able-bodied adult without dependents and don’t find a job, they can assign you to workfare—working for a nonprofit or government agency without wages.

How To Get Into SNAP E&T

The most common way to enter these programs is during your initial application or when you recertify your food stamps.

In states like Rhode Island and Tennessee, caseworkers are required to read a specific script explaining what E&T is and how it can help.

In Kentucky, the worker is trained to ask, “Do you want to volunteer in the SNAP E&T program?” If you say yes, it triggers a referral in their computer system.

If you’re interested, I wouldn’t wait for them to ask. Tell your caseworker directly that you want to work with the SNAP Employment and Training program to get job skills and supportive services. Once you say that, they’re required to check whether you’re a good fit for the program.

Not everyone may be able to participate. They’ll look at your physical health, childcare needs, and transportation access.

The “Reverse Referral” Method

There’s also a second way in that almost no one talks about. I call it the insider method, and it’s mentioned in 2026 plans for states like Arizona, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.

It’s called a reverse referral.

You find a local community college, food bank, or nonprofit like Goodwill that already offers the training you want—maybe welding or a nursing assistant program. You go to them first and say, “I’m on SNAP and I want to participate in this program.”

The provider initiates the paperwork and contacts the state to confirm your SNAP status so the process can begin.

Some states also have links on their websites to programs called SNAP Works or E&T that you can contact directly.

The 60–64 Gray Area

If you’re between 60 and 64 years old, here’s where things get tricky.

Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the three-month time limit applies to you if you’re an able-bodied adult without dependents. Even in your 60s, the federal government says you must work 80 hours a month.

But here’s the catch: while the federal government says you must work, the state typically cannot force you into a mandatory E&T program because of your age. SNAP E&T is usually not automatically offered to people over 59.

That can feel like a trap. If you’re required to work but not automatically offered supportive services, you could sit and wait for instructions while your three-month clock runs out and your benefits stop.

However, it appears you can still volunteer to join E&T. You’ll have to meet eligibility requirements, but you may be able to enroll even if you’re not automatically assigned.

Most 2026 plans say their programs are for people 18 and older and don’t list an upper age limit. They say you’re exempt over 60, but you should still be able to opt in.

If you’re over 60 and interested, reach out to your caseworker directly. That way, you can potentially access reimbursements and supportive services that may help you meet the work requirement while you’re in training.

Know Your State’s Plan

One final word of warning: don’t walk into the office blind.

Every state’s battle plan is different. I’ve highlighted some major trends, but they are not universal. When I broke it down state by state, the differences were shocking.

You need to know what your specific state has promised the federal government they will pay for before you agree to participate.

We’ll be dropping daily deep dives on the Fast Facts by Low Income Relief channel very soon, so please make sure you’re subscribed there for updates.

Thank you for being here with us today. Please share this video with anyone you know who may be affected. We’ll be back soon with more ways you can save money and get free stuff.

I’ll see you there.