You are 65 years of age or older, and you are either waiting to receive SSI or you are not eligible for SSI
You are under 65 and mentally or physically disabled, with a disability that will last at least 60 days and makes it very difficult for you to earn a living
You are taking part in a Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) program
You are taking care of a disabled household member who needs constant care, and the disabled household member would have to be institutionalized if you did not provide constant care
You are taking care of dependent children who live in your home, but you do not qualify for TAFDC because you are not a close enough relative of the dependent children to meet the TAFDC relationship requirements

AND

You must be a Massachusetts resident.
You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.
You must have a Social Security number or have applied for one.

AND

You must meet financial eligibility requirements (assets and income).

Who is not eligible for EAEDC?

You are not eligible for EAEDC if:

You have been found guilty of withholding or giving false information for the purpose of becoming eligible for EAEDC. You will be ineligible for 6 months for the first violation, 12 months the second time, and permanently ineligible the third time.
You have been convicted of felony fraud against the DTA for an amount of $1000 or more, for fraud committed after May 1, 1996. You will be permanently ineligible.
You have any outstanding warrants issued by any court in Massachusetts.

Are there work requirements for EAEDC?

Most people who get EAEDC are exempt, and do not have to meet work requirements. You are exempt if you are:

elderly (age 60 or older)
disabled
caring for a disabled household member
the caretaker in a caretaker family and you are not getting EAEDC for yourself
the caretaker in a caretaker family and the youngest dependent child in the family is under 15 years old

You must meet EAEDC work requirements if you are the caretaker in a caretaker family, and:

you are getting EAEDC for yourself
you are between the ages of 18 and 59
the youngest child in your family is 15 or older
you are not in school or training or working full time
and you are not otherwise exempt

Caretakers who are not exempt must take part in the Transitional Employment for Massachusetts Parents (TEMP) program. TEMP participants must have 20 hours of paid work per week, or volunteer without pay doing community service, or take part in an education and training program; or do some combination of these activities.

How do I qualify for EAEDC as disabled?

To qualify as disabled:

You must be under age 65
You must have one or more impairments expected to last at least 60 days
Your impairment(s) must make it very hard for you to earn a living. You do not need to be totally disabled to get EAEDC. You may be eligible, even if you are able to work part-time.

DTA will consider you disabled:

if you have a written notice from the Social Security Administration or Administrative Law Judge, stating that you are disabled and eligible for SSI or SSDI
or if a doctor examines you and files a medical report stating that you are disabled, and the DTA Disability Evaluation Service agrees with the report. If you do not have a doctor or health coverage, DTA will help you set up an appointment for the doctor's exam. You do not have to pay for the exam.

The Disability Evaluation Service decides how often your case will be reviewed. They may review your case as often as every six months.

If the Disability Evaluation Service finds you not disabled, you have the right to appeal their decision. Your denial notice will include instructions on how to file an appeal.

Can seniors get EAEDC?

Seniors age 65 or older can get EAEDC. To qualify, seniors must:

be Massachusetts residents
be citizens or eligible noncitizens
have a Social Security number (or applied for one)
meet EAEDC income and asset requirements
have applied for SSI and are waiting for benefits or were found not eligible for SSI benefits.

Most seniors with low incomes and few assets are eligible for SSI once they turn 65. However, it may take several months before the Social Security office sends you your benefits. EAEDC will give you short-term benefits while you wait for SSI benefits. Once SSI benefits start, EAEDC benefits will stop.

Seniors not eligible for SSI will receive EAEDC as long as they continue to meet the EAEDC requirements.

Can families get EAEDC?

Caretaker families who are not eligible for TAFDC because they do not meet the TAFDC relationship requirements can get EAEDC. This includes children who live with unrelated or distantly related people not recognized by DTA and therefore not eligible for TAFDC.

To qualify, caretaker adults caring for children must have legal guardianship or custody of the children (or apply for it), or have good cause.

Can noncitizens get EAEDC?

If you are not a U.S. citizen but you meet all of the other eligibility requirements for EAEDC, you may be able to get EAEDC if you are in one of the following eligible noncitizen categories:

Legal permanent resident (LPR)
Note: American Indians born in Canada are considered LPRs
Refugee
Asylee
Withholding of deportation noncitizen
Parolee, with parolee status granted for at least one year
Conditional entrant
PRUCOL: permanently residing under color of law
Cuban/Haitian entrant (known to be in the U.S., but not facing deportation)
Amerasian from Vietnam
Victim of severe form of trafficking

In addition to being in one of these categories, you must:

be ineligible for SSI, TAFDC, Unemployment Compensation, and Veterans' Services
be able to show proof of your immigration status
be taking steps to become a citizen, if you are eligible to become a U.S. citizen within the next three years.

Rules for noncitizens are complicated and subject to change. Your DTA worker will explain the rules that apply to you. In certain limited cases, getting cash assistance like EAEDC can affect your chances of becoming a legal permanent resident.

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