Income Supports

            The following resources are helpful for attorneys and advocates looking to get a better sense of advocacy in the income supports arena. They are not meant to replace substantive mentorship from a practicing attorney in this area, but are instead meant to supplement and offer context for the issues that may arise in an income supports case.

Hornbooks/Practice Manuals

•  Massachusetts Law Reform Institute Advocacy Guideseries (available for order on the MCLE and MLRI websites), including:

                                 Food Stamps

                                 TAFDC and EA

                                 MassHealth

                                 EAEDC

• An Advocate’s Guide to Surviving the SSI System, by Linda Landry (available on MCLE site)
• Guide to Immigrant Eligibility for Federal Programs, published by the National Immigration Law Center and available for order on the NILC website)

Regulations/Statutes

            Most public agencies administering income supports programs are required by law to post their regulations and statutes on agency websites so that such material is available free of charge to the public. Particularly if you are concerned about conserving WestLaw/LEXIS resources, you may access relevant statutes and regulations on the following sites:

• www.mass.gov/dta
• www.mass.gov/masshealth
• www.ssa.gov/ssi

Internet Resources

            The following websites provide helpful information regarding income supports eligibility, access and advocacy:

• www.masslegalservices.org (online forum for advocates and attorneys who want substantive guidance and updates on a variety of benefits – managed by MLRI)
• www.massresources.org (online guide for clients and laypersons who want a broad overview of eligibility and guidelines for each benefit program – this is a helpful starting point for any attorney or advocate new to the field)
• www.gettingfoodstamps.org (provides in-depth instructions regarding Food Stamp eligibility, applications and advocacy from both an advocate and client perspective)

Child Support and Paternity

• Handbook on Child Support Enforcement (courtesy of Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, Office of Child Support Enforcement)
• Establishing Paternity (courtesy ofMassachusetts Department of Revenue, Child Support Enforcement Division)
• Form for Modification of Child Support Arrangement (courtesy of Commonwealthof Massachusetts, Trial Court, Probate & Family Court Department)
• Modification Instructions (courtesy ofMassachusetts Department of Revenue, Child Support Enforcement Division)
• Paternity Guide for Unmarried Parents (courtesy of Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Child Support Enforcement Division)
• Sample Complaint for Modification (courtesy ofCommonwealth of Massachusetts, Trial Court, Probate & Family Court Department)