In recognition of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities and the Ombudsman’s Office for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and their Families are excited to launch a survey to assess individuals with disabilities and their families’ awareness and satisfaction with several organizations. These government agencies are committed to providing services, education, and advocacy for the developmental disability community. Your participation in this survey will help the participating agencies and organizations identify areas for improvement, so we can all do better to meet the needs of this community.

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This survey is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, and Gujarati. See below for the links to the specific language.​​

English- Survey Here

Spanish- Survey Here

Portuguese- Survey Here

Korean- Survey Here

Chinese- Survey Here

​Gujarati- Survey Here

The survey will be available until April 15th, 2024.

If there are any questions about the survey or if you need any assistance in completing it, please contact Kerry McGrath at kerry.mcgrath@njcdd.org or (609)-984-4516. A live interpreter is available upon request.

Abilities Expo: May 3-5

The Richard West Assistive Technology Advocacy Center is thrilled to organize this multi day professional learning experience with PODD (Pragmatic Organization of Dynamic Display) trainer Kelly Fonner. Last year we hosted Kelly for a two-day Introduction to PODD training event.

For 2024, we are going to build on this and offer a range of PODD related training events designed to meet the needs of new participants and returning participants.

Dates: May 20, 2024 – May 23, 2024

Location: The Grand Hotel Cape May, 1045 Beach Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204

Visit our Eventbrite page to register!

An overpayment of Social Security (Title II) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI, or Title XVI) benefits occurs when an individual receives more money for a month than the amount that should have been paid by the Social Security Administration (SSA). 



A recent court approved settlement will benefit more than two million Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients who incurred overpayments during the COVID-19 National Emergency.

Administrative Guidance about COVID-19-Related Circumstances as Basis for Waiver

SSA has issued internal guidance for its employees, reminding them how to adjudicate waiver requests, and specifically directing them to consider COVID-19-related circumstances when making findings of fault for overpayments that arose during the COVID-19 National Emergency Period (March 2020-April 2023) including, for example: 

• COVID-19 related failed attempts to contact the Agency, including inability to visit a field office, inability to access mail services, and inability to access transportation 
• Government-imposed COVID-19 travel restrictions 
• Overpaid individual’s COVID-19 related serious illness 
• Child- or family-care changes due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders or school-at home requirements 
• COVID-19 related death or serious illness of the overpaid person’s representative payee  
• COVID-19 related death or serious illness in the overpaid individual’s immediate family

Waiver of March-September 2020 Manual SSI Overpayments with No Action Required by SSI Recipients

SSA will waive all SSI overpayments incurred for the months of March through September 2020 that were manually processed (meaning, SSA will waive all overpayments for those months except those overpayments identified through an automated process such as VA data matching).* 

• SSA will grant these waivers without SSI recipients having to take any steps or submit any application or other paperwork. 
• SSA will grant most of these waivers by June 2025. SSA will send eligible individuals a notice informing them about the waiver. 

*Additionally, SSA will not waive: Any such overpayments resulting from fraud or similar fault or involving misuse of benefits by a representative payee or that have already been reversed or waived.

Where Applicable, Refunds of Funds Previously Paid with No Action Required by SSI Recipients

• For any SSI recipients who have already repaid some or all of the waived overpayments described above, SSA will issue an “underpayment.” 
• SSA will follow its typical procedures in connection with these underpayments. Some may be used to offset other overpayments. Where applicable, SSA will provide refunds to SSI recipients via direct deposit into their bank accounts. 
• SSA will issue these underpayments and refunds without SSI recipients having to take any steps or submit any application or other paperwork. 
• SSA will issue most of these refunds by June 2025. 

Notice to SSI Recipients Assessed Overpayments for COVID-19 Emergency Period

• SSA will mail a notice to SSI recipients who were assessed an overpayment for the COVID-19 National Emergency Period (March 2020-April 2023) and who are not receiving the automatic waiver described above. 
• This notice will inform the individuals how to seek a waiver and will highlight the COVID-19-related factors that may be relevant to SSA, including those in the guidance listed above. 
• SSA will provide this notice in approximately Spring 2025. 



To learn more about Social Security Overpayments and how legal assistance and other service providers can assist older adults, watch our recent training, Legal Basics: Social Security Overpayments.

Disability Rights NJ is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services - Center for Mental Health Services; Administration for Community Living - Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Center for Integrated Programs, through the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, U.S. Department of Education: Rehabilitation Services Administration, and the Social Security Administration