OVERVIEW

Social Worker’s Guide to Public Benefits Programs NASW approved is organized by Homestead Schools, Inc. This course has been approved for a maximum of 8 Contact Hours.

Learning Objectives:
After completing the course, you will be able to:

Chapter 1: Historical Development:
• Provide a historical overview of various public benefits programs.

Chapter 2: Survivors Benefits:
• Describe the insurance benefits paid to the survivor of a worker.
• Define “widow(er)” and “surviving divorced spouse” for Social Security purposes.
• Describe the effect of remarriage of a widower or surviving divorced spouse of the widow(er)’s on the insurance benefits.

Chapter 3: Cash Disability Benefits and Related Disability Protection:
• Discuss the seven types of disability protection included under Social Security.

Chapter 4: Supplemental Security Income:
• Describe the purpose and basic principles of SSI.
• Describe the three categories of eligibility for SSI benefits.
• List items that are not income for SSI purposes.
• Define “countable income”.
• Discuss how resources can affect eligibility for SSI benefits.

Chapter 5: Disability Benefits Under Social Security:
• Discuss disability benefits paid under Social Security.
• Describe the earnings requirements to get disability benefits.
• Explain the five-step process that Social Security uses to determine if an applicant is disabled.
• Define various terms used in the determination of disability and blindness.
• Describe the evidentiary requirements under title II and title XVI programs for the determination of disability.

Chapter 6: The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA):
• Provide an overview and highlights of the PRWORA.
• List four major goals of PRWORA.
• Describe how the new law combats out-of-wedlock births and promotes paternity establishment.
• Discuss provisions under the new law to ensure that prisoners and other criminals do not receive SSI benefits.
• Explain the restrictions imposed by the new law on welfare and public benefits for noncitizens.

Chapter 7: Medicaid: A Brief Summary:
• Discuss eligibility standards for Medicaid.
• List seven factors that are responsible for the very rapid growth in Medicaid expenditures.
• Discuss the treatment of trusts for purposes of determining eligibility for Medicaid.
• Discuss the resource and income eligibility standards under spousal impoverishment.
• Discuss immigrant eligibility rules for Medicaid and SCHIP.

Chapter 8: Major Federal Food Programs:
• List the categories of people who are eligible to receive food stamp benefits.
• Explain eligibility rules for food stamp program.
• Answer frequently asked questions about the food stamp program.
• List some characteristics of food stamp households.
• Describe the eligibility standards for WIC.
• Describe how the School Breakfast Program works.
• Describe how the Special Milk Program works.
• Describe the Summer Food Service Program.