Virginia Poverty Law Center

9/16/25 ☀️ AM: PRESENTED BY IN THIS EDITION Johnson’s tall tasks going into todaySenate may skip the NDAA againThe Vault: Why Dems want Obamacare deal nowJeffries silent

This is NOT an end-of-year issue. Open enrollment runs Nov.1 – Jan.15 for most states and window shopping begins in October. If Congress waits until Dec.31, 1.5 million more people will be uninsured in 2026 compared to an earlier extension. (4/4)
tinyurl.com/mr2bhszc

Virginia’s 2026 ACA marketplace window shopping is underway, meaning people are already seeing next year’s premiums spike because of expiring tax credit enhancements. A typical 60-year-old couple making $85,000 in Virginia will face a $18,000 increase in annual premiums. (1/4)

Join us in Blacksburg, Oct 20th. Free! register here: bit.ly/SWVACandidat...

The report out of @vplc.bsky.social and the RVA Eviction Lab is so important. "In 2024, judges awarded nearly $18 million in fees to landlord attorneys in residential eviction cases across Virginia, a 48% increase from 2019, even as eviction judgments fell 19%" rvaevictionlab.org/2025/09/27/u...

Unreasonable: Report from Virginia Poverty Law Center and RVA Eviction Lab Unreasonable: The Dramatic Rise in Attorney Fees Charged to Tenantsin Virginia Residential Eviction Proceedings is a report from the Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC) and the RVA Eviction Lab. In …

A new report by @vplc.bsky.social and the RVA Eviction Lab looks at attorney fees in eviction cases:

In 2024 in VA, judges awarded nearly $18 million in fees to landlord attorneys, a 48% increase from 2019, even as eviction judgments fell 19%.

rvaevictionlab.org/2025/09/27/u...

Tune in to our Richmond-area Candidate Forum on Facebook Live!

Federal data shows many Virginians are "rent burdened" Anyone who spends more than 30% of their income on rent is "rent-burdened," a category of people that is surprisingly high in Virginia.

According to federal data, 42% of Virginia renters are rent burdened and pay more than 30% of their income on rent. www.wvtf.org/news/2025-09...

Column: Expiration of EPTCs would raise health care costs for Virginians Health care costs in Virginia would skyrocket if Congress fails to extend tax credits set to expire on Sept. 30, Dr. Mack Bonner and Alex Cole write in a guest column.

"But unless Congress acts by Sept. 30, those tax credits will expire at the end of the year. The consequences for Virginia will be devastating—soaring premiums, lost coverage, rising medical debt and ripple effects that will drag down our entire economy." www.pilotonline.com/2025/09/20/c...

Our Candidate Forum is this week! Will we see you there?
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In Virginia, around 4% of SSI recipients still receive paper checks. As of September 30, 2025, the Treasury department will stop issuing paper checks for most federal payments. These individuals will need to switch to direct deposit to ensure they receive their monthly payments. If this applies to you or someone you know, take action ASAP.

If you have a bank account already, You can sign up for direct deposit at godirect.gov or call the Treasury Electronic Payment Solution Center at 1-877-874-6347. You will need this information on hand when you call: Social security number Social security claim number Financial institution routing number Account type Account number

If you do not have a bank account, Several institutions in Virginia offer Bank On certified accounts. These accounts do not charge overdraft fees or require a minimum account balance. Visit joinbankon.org/accounts for a list of participating banks. Note: most banks will require an initial deposit of at least $25 to open an account.

If you do not have a bank account and do not wish to open one, You also have the option of signing up for a Direct Express® card, which will put your monthly checks onto the card. Note: there are fees associated with this card, including a $0.85 fee for certain ATM cash withdrawals and a $0.75 fee for monthly paper statements.

Do you know someone who receives SSI benefits in the mail? They'll need to take action before the end of this month to avoid having their monthly payments withheld. More info:

September is Hunger Action Month. Use this tool from Food Research & Action Center to contact your federal representatives and urge them to take immediate action to reverse harmful SNAP cuts: secure.everyaction.com/xf5JzY9MDEGu...

Virginia faces significant infrastructure upgrades to deal with federal Medicaid eligibility requirements According to a state study, Virginia’s decentralized Medicaid processing system is already outdated and lacks a way to handle paperwork tied to new work requirements.

“These are really, really difficult-to-access programs, really difficult to understand [for local social services staff]. These rules are just making them harder to access and understand,” Hardy said.

cardinalnews.org/2025/08/27/s...

Take Action | Voices for Virginia's Children

TAKE ACTION: Use this tool from our partners at @voicesforvakids.bsky.social to urge your Virginia state representatives to protect Medicaid and SNAP and support low-income families in the face of federal budget cuts. vakids.org/get-involved/take-action

Big Bill Means Big Changes For Student Loan Borrowers: What You Need to Know - Student Loan Borrowers Assistance On July 4th, President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill (“Big Bill”) into law. The biggest changes for borrowers include new limits on how much they can borrow …

Big changes are coming for student loan borrowers.

Our partners at @nclc4consumers.bsky.social put together a clear guide to help you understand what’s changing, how it affects you, and what steps you should take:

studentloanborrowerassistance.org/big-bill-mea...

August 21 is National Senior Citizens Day. VPLC advocates to improve access to Medicare and Social Security, because we know these programs play a vital role in supporting older adults’ access to health care and their financial security. Get the stats

More than 1.6 million older adults in Virginia are enrolled in Medicare. Almost 30% of Virginia’s Medicare enrollees have income under 200% of the federal poverty level (that’s $31,300 per year for one person).

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Social Security lifts more people above the poverty line than any other program. Without Social Security benefits, 37.3% of older adults would have incomes below the federal poverty level. With benefits, only 10.1% do.

This National Senior Citizens Day, VPLC is highlighting the importance of social safety net programs like Medicare & Social Security in ensuring the wellbeing of older adults in our communities. We must improve access to these programs so they can continue to support older adults in Virginia.

“People are being punished on the back end because the SSA was the one that made the mistake ... You have no time to prepare for this, no time to budget for this. It just really puts people at a huge disadvantage, and it's just fundamentally unfair.” www.wtvr.com/news/local-n...

Gov. Youngkin: Virginia 'very open' to SNAP benefit restrictions for candy and soda purchases Gov. Glenn Youngkin said he is "very open" to the idea of requesting a federal waiver to prevent SNAP benefits from being used to purchase items like candy and soda in Virginia.

"This doesn't really address the real issue. . .If we really want to address the issues and make sure people have adequate nutrition, we need to increase SNAP benefits, not limit them." VPLC's Cassie Edner responds to proposed SNAP restrictions: www.wtvr.com/news/local-n...

Virginians with Marketplace plans could see premiums rise next year During the pandemic, Congress approved the plan that helped many people afford health insurance – enhanced tax credits that were later extended by the Inflation Reduction Act. Now, those enhanced tax ...

VPLC's Deepak Madala: "And so, a lot of people will be seeing – even if they receive some of those financial subsidies – increases in the cost of that insurance, unfortunately, starting January 1st." www.wvtf.org/news/2025-08...

Trump Administration Poised to Cut SSI Benefits for Nearly 400,000 Low-Income Disabled and Older People | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities The average annual savings from these benefit cuts would barely pay for a single day of the massive tax cuts for the wealthy that are part of the Republican megabill enacted in July.

Nearly 400,000 SSI beneficiaries living with family or friends experiencing their own financial struggles likely would have their benefits cut—typically by hundreds of dollars per month—or lose eligibility altogether. www.cbpp.org/research/soc...

"Reflections on the Social Security Act at 90. Read the blog post from VPLC's Victoria Richardson." Image in background is Ida May Fuller, the first Social Security recipient, holding up her Social Security check.

🎉 Happy 90th birthday to the Social Security Act!

Did you know Social Security lifts more people out of poverty than any other program?

Learn more about how the programs created by the Social Security Act fight poverty and what we can do to strengthen them: vplc.org/reflections-...

Una Descripcion General de la Ayuda Alimentaria en Virginia 1380 AM facebook.com/radiopoder1380

🍎🥫 Durante esta sesión, nuestra anfitriona Amber Poron hablará con Claudia Artiga, especialista de SNAP con VPLC, quien compartirá información sobre la ayuda alimentaria existente a través de programas como SNAP, bancos de comida, etc. en Virginia.
¡Únete a nosotros el 6 de agosto para aprender más!

Medicare and Medicaid turn 60 – and face historic cuts decades in the making Republicans enacted the largest cuts to healthcare in US history, and fulfilled decades of conservative rhetoric

On the 60th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, learn more about the history of the programs—and the dangerous consequences of Congress's recent budget cuts—in this explainer from the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Medicaid at 60: A Milestone Worth Fighting For - Virginia Poverty Law Center July 30, 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of Medicaid. With new barriers on the horizon, this is a time to take action to protect health care.

Today marks the 60th anniversary of Medicaid—a program that provides essential health care to millions of Virginians & is now a cornerstone of our health care system.

Learn more about the anniversary & how you can help protect Medicaid in this blog: vplc.org/medicaid-at-...

Join us this weekend for this Tenant Rights Legal Pop-up in Richmond.

RSVP: bit.ly/TenantRights...

Patients waiting for dental care.

A school gym. A sea of white tents. Free dental care, no insurance needed.
This is what healthcare looks like when Remote Area Medical (RAM) comes to town—and for many Virginians, it’s their only access to a doctor or dentist all year.
#RAMclinic #HealthAccess #VirginiaHealthcare

Ever wondered if all the fees your landlord is charging are legal, how to get repairs done in your unit, or how to connect with other tenants fighting for change? Stop by our free event on Saturday, July 26 from 11AM-2PM, get your lease reviewed and questions answered. Food will be provided.

SUN Bucks Supports Food Security for Young People During the Summer  | Voices for Virginia's Children

SUN Bucks applications are open! Learn more about the program—and which families with school-age kids will need to apply—in this blog post from our partners at @voicesforvakids.bsky.social: vakids.org/posts/sun-bu...

Medical and Financial Records May Be at Risk — Here’s Why VPLC Is Fighting Back - Virginia Poverty Law Center Your medical history. Your Social Security number. Your financial records. The federal government gave DOGE Affiliates access to this sensitive data—without your knowledge or consent. VPLC is fighting...

The federal government gave DOGE Affiliates access to your most sensitive information—without telling you.
VPLC is in court to stop the overreach and hold them accountable.
Read what’s happening and what’s next: vplc.org/medical-and-...
#Privacy #DigitalRights #VPLC

Senate Proposes Largest SNAP Cuts in Program’s History   - Virginia Poverty Law Center As the U.S. Senate considers a budget proposal that includes historic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC) warns that Virginia families—espe...

Virginia families are facing devastating consequences under a new Senate proposal that would slash SNAP—shifting food costs to states and risking hunger for hundreds of thousands.
vplc.org/senate-propo...

#SNAP #FoodJustice #PolicyMatters

Did you know? The SUN Meals program provides free meals & snacks to kids during the summer at schools, parks, & other neighborhood locations—no application needed.

More info here: www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sunme...

Details can change, so we recommend calling ahead before visiting a site on the map!