A new evaluation of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) model has found that SOAR is effective for increasing approval of disability applications. SOAR is a national program designed to increase access to the disability income benefit programs administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) for eligible adults who are experiencing or at-risk of homelessness and have a mental illness, medical impairment, and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder.
Category: Income and Public Benefits
SNAP time limits take effect
As the U.S. economy improves, some states are putting time limits on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.Starting in 2016, in 22 additional states, single “able-bodied” adults age 18-49 without dependents will be limited to receiving SNAP benefits for 3 months in any 36 months period.
Opioid Abuse and Homelessness
The issue of opioid abuse has risen to a level of national crisis as the number of people abusing prescription drugs and heroin has dramatically risen, and the rate of opioid-related overdose deaths has tripled since 2000.2 In 2014, an estimated 2.5 million people had opioid-use disorders (OUD) involving prescription drug or heroin abuse, and opioid-related overdoses were responsible for more than 28,000 deaths.
WIOA State Planning Recommendations
Based on the Information Collection Request (ICR) for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State Unified and Combined Plans, plan strategies must prioritize high-vulnerability populations including 'public assistance recipients, other low-income individuals, or individuals who are basic-skills deficient.
Meeting the Needs of Job Seekers Experiencing Homelessness
This video is a recording of a webinar that originally streamed Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015, on improved employment services for homeless job seekers. During the webinar, speakers discussed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and introduced a WIOA Implementation Toolkit.