Massachusetts Law Reform Institute is a statewide legal advocacy and support center. Our mission is to represent low-income people, disabled people and elders in their struggle for basic human needs; to defend against policies and actions that harm and marginalize people living in poverty; and to advocate for systemic reforms that achieve social and economic justice. Our activities include advice, litigation, policy analysis, research, technical assistance and public information.

MLRI dedicates this Guide to the low-income children and their families for whom it was written. We thank the advocates for children and families in Massachusetts who help cash assistance applicants and recipients obtain the benefits for which they are eligible and who work to preserve and protect basic benefits for people in poverty.

We especially appreciate the support for our work and for this Guide from the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation and Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc.

Special thanks go Pat Baker, and Victoria Negus, Benefits Unit staff at Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, and Lisa Bradley, Lizbeth Ginsburg, Sarah Levy, Melanie Malherbe and Naomi Meyer, Welfare Law Unit staff at Greater Boston Legal Services. Their careful analysis and suggestions have made this Guide more accurate and more useful. The Guide also reflects contributions to earlier editions of the Guide by Dick Bauer, Ruth Bourquin, Janis Broderick, Neil Cronin, Laura Gallant, Rochelle Hahn, Gale Halpern, Emily Herzig, Leslie Lawrence, Tish Lee, Kelly Love, Anne Mackin, Donna McCormick, Millie Peters, Kristina Petronko, Patti Prunhuber, Julia Schlozman, Sandra Quiles, Michael Raabe, Caroline Robinson, Deborah Roher, Steve Savner, Cortnay Varela, Lena Wilson, Lily Yang, and Shari Zimble.

December 2023