0870.045.00 Effect of COLA Increases on SLMB Cases – DSS Manuals

As with the QMB program, federal legislation stipulates that OASDI cost of living increases which are received in January of each year cannot be considered on SLMB budgets until the effective date of the new Federal Poverty guidelines in April of each year.

SLMB Applications Taken January Through March: For SLMB applications effective for the months of January through March, verify the amount of OASDI received in December. Use this amount in determining eligibility for SLMB for those months. In April, SLMB cases will be mass adjusted to reflect the COLA increase. If the OASDI COLA increase causes ineligibility, the case will be closed at that time or moved to a different group.

Prior Quarter Coverage Before April: If a SLMB application is approved for prior quarter coverage that includes the months January through March, do not use the increased OASDI amount for the applicable prior quarter months. Verify the December OASDI and use it for the appropriate prior quarter months.