4408-1000 Emergency Aid to the Elderly Disabled and Children

For a program of cash assistance to certain residents of the commonwealth, entitled emergency aid to the elderly, disabled, and children found by the department to be eligible for the aid under the chapter 117A of the General Laws and regulations promulgated by the department and subject to the limitations of appropriations for such purposes; provided, that the recipient shall not be subject to sponsor income- deeming or related restrictions; provided further, that in implementing the program for fiscal year 2026, the department shall include all eligibility categories permitted in this item and the need standard shall be not less than the standard that was in effect in the month of January in calendar year 2025; for the former general relief program in fiscal year 1991; provided further, that any person experiencing homelessness, who (a) has no established place of abode, or lives in a temporary emergency shelter, and (b) is otherwise eligible under the provisions of this item and said chapter 117A shall receive the same payment rate as recipients who incur shelter costs including, but not limited to, rent or a mortgage; provided further, that the department may provide benefits to persons age 65 or older who have applied for benefits under chapter 118A of the General Laws, to persons suffering from a medically-determinable impairment or combination of impairments which is expected to last for a period as determined by department regulations and which substantially reduces or eliminates such individuals' capacity to support themselves and which has been verified by a competent authority, to certain persons caring for a disabled person, to otherwise eligible participants in the vocational rehabilitation program of MassAbility and to dependent children who are ineligible for benefits under both chapter 118 of the General Laws and the separate program created by section 210 of chapter 43 of the acts of 1997 and parents or other caretakers of dependent children who are ineligible under said chapter 118 and under said separate program; provided further, that no person incarcerated in a correctional institution shall be eligible for benefits under the program; provided further, that no funds shall be expended from this item for the payment of expenses associated with any medical review team, other disability screening process or costs associated with verifying disability for this program; provided further, that in promulgating, amending or rescinding its regulations with respect to eligibility or benefits, including the payment standard, medical benefits and any other benefits under this program, the department shall take into account the amounts available to it for expenditure by this item so as not to exceed the amount appropriated in this item; and provided further, that reimbursements collected for the Social Security Administration on behalf of former clients of the emergency aid to the elderly, disabled and children program or unprocessed payments from the program that are returned to the department shall be credited to the General Fund