March ushers in spring and a renewed awareness that life can be unpredictable due to natural disasters. In Wisconsin, spring reminds us of the possibility of severe weather and tornadoes. But, other emergencies include extreme heat or a heat wave, fire, and flash floods. This is a time to review how to be prepared for the unthinkable and plan for …
Building your Savings
Do you have savings goals? Are you saving up for a car? A house? An emergency fund? A lot of people reach the end of the month and realize they’ve spent the money they planned to save. A survey in late 2016 suggests that nearly half of Americans are living in this paycheck to paycheck cycle. What can I do? …
New Program Pilots Online Grocery Payment and Delivery for People Receiving SNAP / EBT Card Services
An innovative new program is being piloted to help elderly adults and people with disabilities access nutrition more easily and efficiently. For the more than 4 million SNAP participants (SNAP in Wisconsin is referred to as FoodShare and many people know it as FoodStamps), the USDA’s new service is being introduced fill a need for homebound individuals to receive food …
That’s a Load of Debt!
To develop a plan for reducing your debt, first determine your debt load – the total amount you owe. Take a few minutes to collect all your bills and credit card statements to take inventory. On a piece of paper (or using the debt load worksheet in the resources below), write out the following: Name of creditor Current balance Interest rate Minimum monthly …
New Mental Health Services Option and the State of Mental Health Report
As residents of Wisconsin, it is everyone’s responsibility to improve the state of mental health and at ERI we are dedicated to doing our part. Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) program One program that is making its way throughout Wisconsin is the Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) program, and it is hoped that the program will give support to a population frequently …
Social Security Promotes Ticket to Work for People with Disabilities to Obtain Employment Support Services
Social Security is spreading the word about the underutilized Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program as a way for people with disabilities to achieve their employment goals. At the end of April 2015, Social Security began mailing letters to beneficiaries who qualify for the Ticket to Work program. Social Security expects to mail up to 60,000 paper Tickets every month to …
Foodshare at the Farmers’ Markets
Did you know that you can purchase produce at some Farmers’ Markets using FoodShare? Several Farmers’ Markets across Wisconsin are equipped with the technology to accept QUEST cards as payment, making it easier to purchase fresh and local food to prepare healthy meals. Some Farmer’ Markets even offer incentives to FoodShare recipients, such as matching the amount you spend on …
Medical Continuing Disability Reviews
If you receive disability benefits, Social Security is required by law to conduct reviews of your medical situation at scheduled intervals. This process is called a “continuing disability review” (CDR) and is intended to determine if you are medically improved and still entitled to benefits. If, during a CDR, Social Security finds that your medical condition has significantly improved, your …
Continued Medicaid Eligibility Section 1619(b)
My name is Stephanie Drum, and I am a Work Incentives Benefits Specialist (WIBS) here at ERI (Employment Resources, Inc.). If you didn’t know already, I really like working with benefits. I unfairly have favorite work incentives, which is what I am writing about today. It’s one of the more unknown and misunderstood work incentives offered to Supplemental Security Income …