NEW CASTLE (Nov. 21, 2022) – The Delaware Division of Social Services will issue emergency benefits for November to eligible households as part of the State’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Benefits will be issued as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and two cash assistance programs – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and General Assistance (GA). The SNAP emergency food benefit will be available on recipients’ Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards Wednesday, Nov. 23. Eligible TANF and GA households will receive an emergency cash benefit check on or after Wednesday, Nov. 23.

All households with open SNAP cases will receive at least $95 in emergency food benefits, to be issued as follows:

• SNAP households receiving the maximum food benefit amount for their household size or a prorated initial benefit will receive $95 in emergency food benefits.
• SNAP households with a calculated emergency food benefit amount less than $95 will have their emergency benefit increased to $95.
• SNAP households with a calculated emergency benefit amount of $95 or more will continue to receive the calculated emergency benefit amount to increase the household’s monthly benefit up to the maximum benefit amount for their household size.

The emergency assistance for TANF and GA families will increase a household’s monthly benefit for each program up to the maximum benefit amount for their household size. Households that already receive the maximum TANF or GA benefit amount or that have a prorated benefit in the month of November are not eligible for the November emergency cash funds.

The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) has issued emergency benefits each month to eligible households since March 2020.

“We are grateful once again to the federal government and the congressional delegation to offer these enhanced benefits to our residents and families most in need in our state,” said DHSS Secretary Molly Magarik. “We do, however, expect the public health emergency to end sometime in early 2023, which will also mean the end to these expanded benefits. We do not want those who rely on these additional funds to be caught off guard, which is why we continue to encourage Delawareans receiving these benefits to start preparing for that day now.”

How the monthly emergency benefit is calculated: A household’s monthly emergency benefit equals the current maximum benefit amount for the household size minus the household’s current monthly benefit amount. For example, based on current USDA limits for SNAP benefits, if a household of one gets $100 in regular monthly benefits, that household will receive $181 in emergency benefits ($281 maximum benefit minus $100 monthly benefit).

Here are the current maximum monthly benefit amounts per household size for SNAP, TANF, and General Assistance:

Emergency SNAP Benefits

An estimated 59,600 Delaware households will receive the emergency SNAP allotment in November, totaling about $12 million in emergency food benefits for the month.

Emergency Cash Benefits

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

General Assistance (GA)

An estimated 165 households will be eligible to receive emergency cash assistance benefits in November, totaling about $21,250 in emergency benefits for the month.

In addition to the emergency benefits, households will receive their regular benefits for November on the usual issuance dates.

For more information about DSS’s benefit programs in response to the pandemic, go to the division’s webpage. To screen for and apply for benefits, go to DHSS’ online application portal Delaware ASSIST or call 1-866-843-7212.

DDDS Aims to Expand Opportunities and Access for Individuals with Disabilities to Join the Workforce

DOVER (Oct. 31, 2022) – The Delaware Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDDS) announced today efforts to expand services and supports for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to seek and secure employment.

“October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and our division is committed to expanding employment opportunities for the people we serve,” said Marissa Catalon, Director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services. “The current workforce environment provides a great opportunity for the people we serve to secure a job where they can use their individual skills, abilities and talents to contribute in a meaningful way to their community.”

Catalon said there are many opportunities for individuals with disabilities to enter the workforce, but they need some help doing so. She said DDDS is committing additional financial resources to support the expansion of these opportunities through a strategy that expands the number of employment specialists available in the state, encourages more provider agencies to engage in supported employment, and pilots a new program designed to train those with disabilities to serve others with IDD.

“We are thrilled to see these investments being made by our colleagues at DDDS,” said Molly Magarik, Cabinet Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS). “These are more than just service enhancements, they are investments in the lives of our friends and neighbors and our communities across the state. And they open the possibility for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to work in their community alongside people with and without disabilities, at competitive wages. This offers a direct pathway to greater autonomy, self-sufficiency and health.”

Catalon said DDDS is committing funds to hire and train 25 new employment specialists. This increased workforce could support up to 400 individuals we serve in their pursuit of community integrated employment.

“The demand for employment services today is much greater than the capacity of our existing provider network,” said Jody Roberts, Director of External Relations and Strategic Partnerships for the division. “The public health emergency and increased workforce competition has impacted the recruitment and retention efforts of our provider network to hire and retain skilled employment specialists. These employment specialists provide crucial supports for people with IDD to obtain, maintain and succeed in these jobs.”

To accelerate the use of these new resources, existing DDDS Home and Community-Based Service providers who are authorized to provide Individual Supported Employment Services may seek approval from DDDS to hire up to two new employment specialists and be reimbursed for wages, trainings and other employment-related expenses for the first six months of the new hire’s employment.

“We know it takes time before these services can become financially sustainable for our providers, and we don’t want that to become a barrier to implementing these new programs,” Catalon said. “That’s why we’re offering to cover the costs of the first six months for these providers to encourage them to take the time needed to make this effort work for everyone involved.”

Finally, the Division will be partnering with RCM Training and Consulting to implement its program, the DSP Academy. The programs trains individuals with disabilities to become DSPs – or Direct Support Professionals – serving those with individuals with IDD.

“The DSP Academy is a truly innovative program,” Roberts said. “It simultaneously works to address the impacts of ongoing workforce shortages in our service system and provides training and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities in Delaware. It’s a model for the communities we hope to create all across Delaware.”

DDDS is one of 10 divisions in the Department of Health and Social Services. It serves more than 5,000 service recipients statewide.

Sponsor a wish list and spread some holiday cheer to those who need it most

SMYRNA (Oct. 27, 2022) – The Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill (DHCI) in Smyrna is asking members of the community to sponsor a resident for the holidays. Since many residents have little family involvement or support, the nursing home relies on the generosity of community members including neighbors, local businesses, community organizations, and volunteers to help fulfill resident wishes at the holidays through the Adopt-A-Resident Program.

“The Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill is truly grateful for the continued generosity and kindness of those who step forward to make a difference for our residents over the holidays and throughout the year,” said Melissa Smith, director of the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD).

DHCI is a licensed skilled nursing facility (SNF), operated by the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities, and dedicated to comprehensive nursing home services for Delawareans who have no other options for their care.

Members of the community, as individuals or as groups, can participate in Adopt-A-Resident at Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill in one of three ways:

• Adopt-A-Resident: Sponsors are provided with the identification code and the wish list of a resident. The sponsor is asked to buy the wish list items and deliver them unwrapped in a gift bag to the Medical Administration Building Lobby Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:40 p.m. at Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill, 100 Sunnyside Road, Smyrna.
• Monetary donation: Donate by gift card or check and leave the shopping to staff at DHCI. Donations may be mailed to the Volunteer Services Office, Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill, 100 Sunnyside Road, Smyrna, DE, 19977.
• General donation: Buy items from the list of suggested gifts that coordinators will email to you. During the holidays, these items are utilized to fill gift bags for residents who have not been adopted, and during the rest of the year they are utilized to fill resident birthday bags and special requests for residents.

To participate in Adopt-A-Resident, please email Tina.Wagner@delaware.gov or call 302-223-1011 and let us know how you wish to help. Please also leave your name and the best way to contact you.

NEW CASTLE (Sept. 27, 2022) – The Delaware Division of Social Services will issue emergency benefits for September to eligible households as part of the State’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Benefits will be issued as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and two cash assistance programs – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and General Assistance (GA). The SNAP emergency food benefit will be available on recipients’ Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards Thursday, Sept. 29. Eligible TANF and GA households will receive an emergency cash benefit check on or after Thursday, Sept. 29.

All households with open SNAP cases will receive at least $95 in emergency food benefits, to be issued as follows:

1. SNAP households receiving the maximum food benefit amount for their household size or a prorated initial benefit will receive $95 in emergency food benefits.
2. SNAP households with a calculated emergency food benefit amount less than $95 will have their emergency benefit increased to $95.
3. SNAP households with a calculated emergency benefit amount of $95 or more will continue to receive the calculated emergency benefit amount to increase the household’s monthly benefit up to the maximum benefit amount for their household size.

The emergency assistance for TANF and GA families will increase a household’s monthly benefit for each program up to the maximum benefit amount for their household size. Households that already receive the maximum TANF or GA benefit amount or that have a prorated benefit in the month of September are not eligible for the September emergency cash funds.

The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) has issued emergency benefits each month to eligible households since March 2020.

“For Delaware individuals and families struggling to bounce back from the economic struggles brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, these monthly emergency benefits have been a critical bridge,” DHSS Secretary Molly Magarik said. “With COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths declining in Delaware and across the country, we expect the day will come in the next few months that these enhanced benefits will end. In the meantime, we encourage Delawareans receiving these benefits to prepare for that day, while we continue to be grateful to the federal government and to Delaware’s congressional delegation for providing this crucial bridge.”

How the monthly emergency benefit is calculated: A household’s monthly emergency benefit equals the current maximum benefit amount for the household size minus the household’s current monthly benefit amount. For example, based on current USDA limits for SNAP benefits, if a household of one gets $100 in regular monthly benefits, that household will receive $150 in emergency benefits ($250 maximum benefit minus $100 monthly benefit).

Here are the current maximum monthly benefit amounts per household size for SNAP, TANF, and General Assistance:

Emergency SNAP Benefits

An estimated 59,367 Delaware households will receive the emergency SNAP allotment in September, totaling about $11.9 million in emergency food benefits for the month.

Emergency Cash Benefits

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

General Assistance (GA)

An estimated 185 households will be eligible to receive emergency cash assistance benefits in September, totaling about $24,500 in emergency benefits for the month.

In addition to the emergency benefits, households will receive their regular benefits for September on the usual issuance dates.

For more information about DSS’s benefit programs in response to the pandemic, go to the division’s webpage. To screen for and apply for benefits, go to DHSS’ online application portal Delaware ASSIST or call 1-866-843-7212.

NEW CASTLE (24 de Agosto de 2022) – La División de Servicios Sociales de Delaware emitirá beneficios de emergencia para Agosto a los hogares elegibles como parte de la respuesta continua del Estado a la crisis de salud pública de COVID-19.

Los beneficios se emitirán como parte del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) y dos programas de asistencia en efectivo: Asistencia Temporal para Familias Necesitadas (TANF) y Asistencia General (GA). El beneficio de alimentos de emergencia de SNAP estará disponible en las tarjetas de Transferencia Electrónica de Beneficios (EBT) de los beneficiarios el Jueves, 25 de Agosto los hogares de TANF y GA deben recibir un cheque de beneficios en efectivo de emergencia a partir de o después del Jueves, 25 de Agosto.

A partir de este mes, Delaware emitirá beneficios de alimentos de emergencia para todos los hogares de SNAP de la siguiente manera:

1. Los hogares de SNAP que reciben la cantidad máxima de beneficios de alimentos para el tamaño de su hogar recibirán $95 en beneficios de alimentos de emergencia.
2. A los hogares de SNAP con un monto calculado de beneficios de alimentos de emergencia menor a $95 se les aumentará su beneficio de emergencia a $95.
3. Los hogares de SNAP con un monto de beneficio de emergencia calculado de $95 o más continuarán recibiendo el monto de beneficio de emergencia calculado para aumentar el beneficio mensual del hogar hasta el monto máximo de beneficio para el tamaño de su hogar.

La asistencia de emergencia para las familias de TANF y GA aumentará el beneficio mensual de un hogar para cada programa hasta el monto máximo de beneficio para el tamaño de su hogar. Los hogares que ya reciben la cantidad máxima de beneficios de TANF o GA o que tienen un beneficio prorrateado en el mes de Agosto no son elegibles para los fondos en efectivo de emergencia de Agosto.

El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Sociales de Delaware (DHSS) ha emitido beneficios de emergencia cada mes a los hogares elegibles desde Marzo del 2020.

“Continuamos padeciendo la propagación comunitaria de COVID-19, que está afectando a personas y familias en todo nuestro estado, pero está teniendo un impacto particularmente negativo en aquellos que son vulnerables y deben faltar al trabajo para aislarse”, dijo la Secretaria del DHSS Molly Magarik. “Durante la pandemia, poder ofrecer estos beneficios aumentados ha sido crucial para garantizar que todos los habitantes de Delaware puedan seguir poniendo comida en sus mesas. Nuevamente este mes, estamos agradecidos con el gobierno federal y la delegación del congreso de Delaware por brindar estos beneficios críticos.”

Cómo se calcula el beneficio de emergencia mensual: El beneficio de emergencia mensual de un hogar es igual al monto máximo actual del beneficio para el tamaño del hogar menos el monto del beneficio mensual actual del hogar. Por ejemplo, según los límites actuales del USDA para los beneficios SNAP, si un hogar de 1 miembro recibe $100 en beneficios mensuales regulares, recibirán $134 en beneficios de emergencia (beneficio máximo de $234 menos beneficio mensual de $100).

Estos son los montos máximos de beneficios mensuales actuales por tamaño de hogar para SNAP, TANF y Asistencia general:

Beneficios de SNAP de Emergencia

Se estima que 59,225 hogares serán elegibles para recibir la asignación de SNAP de emergencia en Agosto, por un total de alrededor de $11.9 millones en beneficios de alimentos de emergencia para el mes.

Beneficios de Dinero en Efectivo de Emergencia

Asistencia Temporal para Familias Necesitadas (TANF)

Asistencia General (GA)

Se estima que 190 hogares serán elegibles para recibir beneficios de asistencia en efectivo de emergencia en Agosto, por un total de alrededor de $25,000 en beneficios de emergencia para el mes.

Además de los beneficios de emergencia, los hogares recibirán sus beneficios regulares para Agosto en las fechas de emisión habituales.

Para obtener más información sobre los programas de beneficios de DSS en respuesta a la pandemia, visite la página web de la división. Para solicitar beneficios, vaya a Delaware ASSIST o llame al 1-866-843-7212.