Government Benefits & Services

General Government Benefits & Services Articles

Each year, the US Department of Health and Human Services updates the federal poverty guidelines. These are a list of annual income amounts, based on the number of people in a household. Different programs use the guidelines in different ways.

Disability Services

The Temporary Disability Assistance Program (TDAP) is available to help low-income, disabled Marylanders through a period of short-term disability or while they are awaiting approval of federal disability support.

Food Programs

Rights of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program applicants and recipients.
WIC helps parents under age 5 with nutrition education, supplemental foods, and care referrals

Income Assistance

EAFC is a program to support the income of families in need.
Benefit amount varies depending on individual and household circumstances.

Medicaid/Medicare

Medical assistance in Maryland is provided through a large variety of state and federal programs. This overview provides basic information about four categories of help that are available, as well as links to more detailed information about specific programs. The four categories are Medicaid, Medicare, the Maryland Health Connection, and a set of state programs designed to help with prescription drugs.
Medicare Part C, also known as "Medicare Advantage" is an alternative to coverage under Medicare Parts A and B.

Medical Benefits

Medical assistance in Maryland is provided through a large variety of state and federal programs. This overview provides basic information about four categories of help that are available, as well as links to more detailed information about specific programs. The four categories are Medicaid, Medicare, the Maryland Health Connection, and a set of state programs designed to help with prescription drugs.
What counts as countable household income for the Primary Adult Care program
The Maryland AIDS Drug Assistance Program (MADAP) ensures that people living with HIV/AIDS in Maryland have access to certain medications they need to help them stay healthy.
The Maryland Children’s Health Program (MCHP) gives full health benefits for children up to age 19, and pregnant women of any age who meet the income guidelines. MCHP enrollees obtain care from a variety of Managed Care Organizations through the Maryland HealthChoice Program.
If you are eligible, you could get free or low-cost health care through Medicaid, also called Medical Assistance.
Medical Assistance (also called Medicaid) is a program that pays the medical bills of people who have low income and cannot afford medical care.
Medicare Part C, also known as "Medicare Advantage" is an alternative to coverage under Medicare Parts A and B.
The Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program is a state program to help people with lower income pay for out-of-pocket Medicare expenses, such as deductibles, co-payments and premiums
Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiary program (SLMB) and the Qualified Individual program (QI) program are state programs that helps pay for Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) premiums for people who have Part A (Hospital insurance) and limited income and resources.

Social Security

The U.S. Social Security Administration funds Social Security retirement, disability, and Supplemental Security Income benefits. Access to benefits and the benefits amounts depend on the various eligibility factors.
A representative payee is a person who has been chosen by the Social Security Administration to receive a Social Security or Supplemental Security Income check on behalf of another person.
This article discusses issues involving Social Security benefits, SSI and the prison population.
Divorced spouses may be entitled to one half the wage earner's "full benefit" amount. The full benefit amount is based on the wage earner's work history.
Social Security benefits may be available to people who cannot work due to a medical condition that's expected to last at least one year or result in death.

Unemployment Programs

This article deals with eligibility and information you need to gather before applying.
This article deals with completing the application for benefits.
This article deals with appealing a denial of benefits.
This article provides statewide resources for getting help with your unemployment benefits claim.

Veterans' Services

Outline of disability compensation for veterans and how to apply.
Veterans pension benefits are calculated by the Veteran's Benefits Administration.