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Information on this web site is provided by Community Resources Information, Inc., an independent non-profit organization not affiliated with any government agency or program. |
Types of Assistance
- Cash Assistance Programs
- Child Care and Preschools
- Education Programs
- Employment & Job Training
- Energy & Utility Assistance
- Financial Programs
- Food Programs
- Health Care - General
- Health Care - Specialized
- Home Care / Long-Term Care
- Homelessness Programs
- Housing Programs
- Legal Assistance
- Tax Credits
- Transportation Services
- Disability Resources
- Domestic Violence Resources
- Ex-Offender Resources
- HIV / AIDS Resources
- Immigrant Resources
- Senior Resources
- Youth Resources
Glossary
This is a glossary of terms used on the MassResources.org web site. Glossary terms are highlighted on the pages where they are found.
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| activities of daily living (ADLs): | personal care tasks including bathing, grooming, dressing and undressing, eating, toileting, transferring from a bed or chair, range-of-motion exercising, taking medications, and getting around inside the home. | |
| adjusted gross income: | total income minus certain deductions | |
| administer: | to manage or run a program | |
| Adobe Reader: | free software that allows you to view and print Internet documents and forms stored as PDF (Portable Document Format) files. Many online documents are PDF files. If you don't have Adobe Reader on your computer, you can download it for free from the Adobe Reader web page. |
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| adult caretaker relative: | an adult relative living in the same home with a child under 19 whose parents are not present in the home; who is related to that child by blood, adoption, or marriage (or is the spouse or former spouse of one of those relatives); and who is the primary caretaker of that child | |
| Adult Day Health (ADH): | a day program of health and social services for seniors and disabled adults who are at risk of institutionalization. Services include nursing care, medication assistance, physical and other therapies, personal care assistance, lunch, and social and recreational activities. Adult Day Health is offered at licensed health facilities. | |
| affidavit of support: | a legal form (I-864) required for most family-based immigrations to the U.S. after 12/19/97, in which a relative in the U.S. agrees to sponsor the immigrant and provide financial support if needed. This guarantee of financial support is to prevent the immigrant from depending on government assistance. The sponsor must promise support until the immigrant has 40 credits of work (about 10 years) or becomes a U.S. citizen. | |
| affidavit: | a written statement sworn to be true in the presence of someone authorized to administer an oath, such as a notary public | |
| Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs): | a network of nonprofit and state agencies that manage community-based long-term care services for MassHealth-eligible seniors. ASAPs perform screenings, case management, authorization of services, information and referral, protective services, and some nutrition services. For a list of Massachusetts ASAPs, see Massachusetts AAAs and ASAPs on the SeniorConnection.org web site. | |
| alien: | a person who is not a citizen of the United States | |
| allotment: | the benefits that have been approved for a household, family, or other assistance unit | |
| Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP): | a state-funded rental assistance program for low-income disabled people under the age of 60. The AHVP offers tenant-based vouchers that can be used for any approved apartment. | |
| Amerasians: | certain individuals born in Cambodia, Korea, Laos, Thailand, or Vietnam after December 31, 1950, and before October 22, 1982, fathered by a U.S. citizen during conflicts in that region. Amerasians and their families are granted permission to enter the U.S. | |
| amortize: | pay off a debt gradually over time in installments |
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| appeal: | to ask someone in a higher position to review your case (for example, if you have been told that you cannot receive benefits) | |
| appraisal: | an estimate of the value of property by a professional | |
| apprenticeable occupation: | a skilled trade that (1) is usually learned through on-the-job training; (2) is a distinct occupation recognized throughout an industry; (3) involves manual, mechanical, or technical skills that usually take two years or more of work experience and training to learn; (4) requires related technical instruction | |
| arrearage: | an unpaid debt that has accumulated over several months or longer. Examples are back rent or overdue utility bills. | |
| assets: | money you have or property you own, such as cash, bank accounts, personal property, vehicles, real estate, and the cash surrender value of life insurance; also called resources | |
| assisted living residence (ALR): | housing for seniors and the disabled that provides room, board, personal care services and other support services to residents. ALRs are for people who cannot live safely on their own, but can still do many activities independently. | |
| assistive technology: | products that help people with disabilities do things that would otherwise be impossible or very difficult. Also called adaptive technology. | |
| asylees: | people already in the United States who are legally allowed to remain in this country because they face persecution in their home country due to their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion | |
| authorization: | official approval | |
| bankruptcy: | a legal process in which you declare that you are not able to pay your debts. There are different types of bankruptcy. Some give you more time to pay your debts; others use whatever assets you have to pay off your debts and eliminate the rest of your debt. In some cases you can keep an asset such as your house. Filing for bankruptcy has serious consequences. Bankruptcy remains on your credit report for 10 years. | |
| base period: | a period of time, usually a year, that the Division of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) looks at to see if you have earned enough money to be eligible for unemployment benefits. Normally, your base period is the last four completed calendar quarters before you file you claim for unemployment benefits. There are four calendar quarters in a year: January through March, April through June, July through September, and October through December. If you did not earn enough to qualify this way, DUA will look at an alternate base period. | |
| Basic banking program: | a bank account with a low monthly fee, which can be used for direct deposits | |
| battered noncitizen: | a noncitizen adult or child who has been battered in the United States by a spouse, parent, or other family member living in the same household. To get benefits as a battered noncitizen, you must have a petition filed with the U.S. Immigration Service (by a spouse, parent, or self-petition), you must have proof of the battering, and the battered noncitizen must no longer be living with the abuser. You may also have to meet other requirements. For more information, see Battered Spouse, Children & Parents on the U.S. Immigration Service web site. |
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| Beehive: | a nonprofit web site with information about money, health, jobs, school and family. The Beehive was created by One Economy Corporation of Washington, DC. See Welcome to Massachusetts - The Beehive | |
| benefit year: | a 52-week period, starting with the effective date of your unemployment insurance (UI) claim. You may file a new claim for UI benefits only once during a benefit year. However, you may close and re-open an existing claim throughout the benefit year. | |
| browser window: | a screen on which you see the information from a web page. More than one browser window can be open at a time. Sometimes a web page link will open a new browser window on top of the window you are already using. | |
| browser: | a computer program that is used to view Internet web pages. Examples are Internet Explorer and Netscape. | |
| capital gain: | profit from the sale of stocks, bonds, property, etc. | |
| case manager: | a person trained to help you, who will look after you and guide you while you get the services you need | |
| categorical eligibility: | when a household automatically qualifies for a program benefit without having to prove eligibility. For example, households in which everyone receives EAEDC or SSI are categorically eligible for SNAP food stamps. |
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| Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA): | an independent Massachusetts state agency in charge of responsibilities previously handled by the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy. CHIA also examines information about health care costs and quality to help make policy decisions. See CHIA web site for more information. |
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| certification period: | the amount of time you have been approved for benefits |
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| child care contracted slot: | a space at a child care center that is paid for by the government and set aside for children from low-income families | |
| child care resource and referral agency (CCR&R): | an agency paid by the government to provide families with child care information and referrals, and to handle government child care vouchers | |
| child care voucher: | a certificate given to a family by the government, that can be exchanged for child care services. It is proof that the child care provider will be paid. | |
| Children's Medical Security Plan (CMSP): | health insurance for Massachusetts children and teenagers who are uninsured and not eligible for MassHealth. Offers primary and preventive care. Cost depends on family size and income. | |
| chronic: | continuing or taking place again and again for a long time |
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| closing costs: | money, in addition to the down payment, that a homebuyer must pay on the closing date. Closing costs include document preparation fees, lender's fees, and certain expenses like house insurance that you may be required to pay at the time you buy the house. | |
| cognitive: | having to do with the ability to learn and solve problems | |
| coinsurance: | the percentage of the cost of a service that you must pay. Your insurance pays the rest. For example, with Medicare, you must pay 20% coinsurance for most Medicare-covered services. | |
| collateral contact: | a person (such as an employer or neighbor) who will give truthful information about you to a service provider who is checking your eligibility for benefits | |
| collateral: | Collateral is an asset that is used as a pledge to repay a loan. If you do not repay the loan, the lender has the right to sell the asset to collect the money. For a car loan, the car is usually the collateral. For a home loan, the house is the collateral. | |
| Community Action Agency (CAA): | private, non-profit human service organizations in Massachusetts that fight poverty by providing emergency assistance to people in crisis and by offering programs to help people find jobs, housing, food, and educational opportunities. To find the CAA that serves your community, use the Community Action Agency Search Tool. | |
| community health center (CHC): | a local health care clinic that provides a wide range of outpatient health care services for its patients, and is licensed by the Department of Public Health. CHCs usually offer medical, dental, social, and mental health services. | |
| community service: | work done without pay to help others | |
| community-based services: | long-term support services for people who need help with activities of daily living in their own homes and communities. These services help keep family members at home, rather than in state institutions or nursing homes. Services may include supported living, personal care assistance, day programs, transportation, and family support. |
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