During our April General Membership Meeting, we said a hello and a goodbye, heard how the Sexual Violence Law Center can help people experiencing housing instability, learned about recent updates to Social Security Income overpayment practices, and reviewed where we’re at with the state legislative session, which ended on Monday, April 28.
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Goodbye Jody and Hello Kevin
The Coalition has benefited for the last four years from having the lovely and talented Jody Rauch as a core member of our staff. Jody is taking a year off and is leaving the Coalition team in May 2025. We are profoundly grateful for the passion, intelligence, community connections, and joy that she has brought to us, her colleagues, to this Coalition as an organization, and to this community. We share sincere appreciation for Jody, who helped us build the infrastructure that allows us to do the work that we do in partnership with the whole community. We are collecting notes of appreciation for Jody here, please feel welcome to add your own.
The sweet part of this bittersweet goodbye is the opportunity to welcome a new staff member, Kevin Lee, to the Coalition in the role of Senior Program Manager.
Kevin comes to the Coalition from working with our partner organization at the state level, the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. They also have a wide range of other experience in direct service and crisis support, from working as an advocate and legal advocate for domestic violence survivors to working in the public benefit systems as a social worker for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and WorkFirst benefit programs.
Please help us as we continue to welcome Kevin into this community. You’ll be seeing their face monthly starting in May at our Membership Meetings and other free trainings.
Sexual Violence Law Center
The Sexual Violence Law Center (SVLC) is a nonprofit law firm that seeks to improve the legal response to survivors of sexual violence. It’s the only legal aid program of its kind in Washington state. It provides holistic assistance and representation exclusively to victims of sexual violence, assault, abuse, harassment, and stalking.
A majority of survivors of sexual assault do not seek legal recourse, protection, or justice. That decision is oftentimes not a choice. The SVLC is at the forefront of removing those barriers, which can leave people vulnerable to compounding systemic oppression.
SVLC serves victims and survivors of sexual violence of all ages and genders. SVLC uses a broad definition of sexual violence that includes sexual assault, sexual harassment, molestation, grooming, stalking, cyber-stalking with a sexual component, sex trafficking, and more. Survivors only need to be self-identifying.
There is no income requirement for clients because SVLC’s services are pro-bono. There are no charges for representation.
SVLC prioritizes serving individuals that face the most barriers. These barriers could be:
- Housing insecurity
- Mental illness
- Being a member of a protected class (race, gender, sex, age, disability, national origin, religion, pregnancy)
- Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community
SVLC practices the following areas of law:
- Civil protection orders
- Criminal privacy
- Immigration
- Employment
- Education
- Housing
- Other situations related to a survivor’s safety or stability
Please note: SVLC does not practice eviction defense but rather helps with other issues related to housing and can also connect clients to housing defense.
SVLC has a legal line, which is NOT an emergency line, where survivors (or professionals supporting survivors) can get questions answered and get connected to services.
Phone: 206-312-7852 or 844-991-7852 (toll free)
Email: legalline@svlawcenter.org
It’s not a live line, which means survivors won’t talk to someone immediately. Rather, their inquiry will be answered, typically, within 30 days. This line is NOT meant to be a consultation for representation. The line is confidential, and the rules of confidentiality apply.
To access SVLC services, survivors can reach out directly to the legal line. Providers working with survivors can also complete a referral form and email it to the legal line. Survivors will be contacted directly to preserve confidentiality.
Download the slides from SVLC’s presentation here. Jump to 00:14:20 in the video to watch SVLC’s entire presentation.
Social Security Overpayment Practices
Social Security is changing daily, sometimes hourly. Updates are coming rapidly, and there is a lot of misinformation coming from media coverage.
We were joined by two staff from the Benefits Law Center, which provides legal advice and representation to low-income individuals with disabilities.
Benefits Law Center presented the following:
- A brief overview in the different social security programs
- General responses to social security overpayments
- The most recent change to overpayment practices
An overpayment is when Social Security believes it has paid someone too much money. This can happen if something in your income changes, such as getting a new job or receiving an inheritance. It is a response to the Social Security system processing new information. It can happen even if you claim your new income in a timely manner.
There are different programs that Social Security administers for people who have disabilities. The two main programs are:
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Needs-based program
- Income and resource limits
- Financial eligibility requirements
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
- No income and resource limits
- There is a trial work period
- Oftentimes just referred to as Social Security in the media
- Includes retirement and survivor benefits
- No income and resource limits
If you or your client gets an overpayment notice, the first thing to do is determine what program the notice came from, SSI or SSDI. Next, a receiver of benefits can:
- Make an appeal that the overpayment was incorrect
- This appeal needs to happen within 60 days, plus five days for mailing.
- You can appeal late with good cause.
- This appeal needs to happen within 60 days, plus five days for mailing.
- File a request for a waiver
- The request will essentially state that the overpayment was not at the fault of the receiver and that the overpayment would create a hardship
- Start a payment plan
- This would set monthly recovery payments at a lower amount than automatic recovery
If you file an appeal or a waiver, there won’t be any withholdings while they process your request.
The recovery rate for overpayments, or how much of your check will be withheld, is different for SSI and SSDI.
The recovery rate for SSI is capped at 10 percent by regulation. SSDI recovery rate is 100 percent, which means Social Security can take an entire payment to recover overpayment.
Last March, the Social Security administration acknowledged a 100 percent recovery rate was not fair. The rate was changed to 10 percent to match SSI. They also changed the payment period to 60 months, or five years. However, just recently, they changed the rate back to 100 percent. So, once again, people can have their entire SSDI check withheld to pay back an overpayment. That’s why filing an appeal or a waiver is crucial.
If you don’t respond to a SSDI overpayment notice with an appeal, waiver request, or payment plan, Social Security will start withholding up to 100 percent of your monthly benefits check.
Reach out to Benefits Law Center with questions:
Email: info@benefitslawcenter.org
Phone: (206) 686-7252
There is a waitlist for services, but assistance is available.
When dealing with Social Security, be persistent and patient. Don’t give up.
Jump to 00:43:12 in the video to watch Benefits Law Center’s presentation.
State Legislative Advocacy
The state budget is currently being set for the next four years. This budget has the potential to bring in more progressive revenue to help solve our upside-down tax structure in Washington state. We have to speak up, not just for progressive revenue in general, but for specific types of progressive revenue that ensure that the wealthiest individuals and corporations pay more like their fair share.
To learn more and get involved, join our special Advocacy Power Half Hour: State Budget Edition on Wednesday, April 30 from 12:30 to 1 p.m.
Our Community Policy Manager, Hali Willis, will help participants:
- Learn about the (preliminary) highlights and lowlights of the final state budget, including the historic passage of Rent Stabilization (HB 1217)
- Call Governor Ferguson’s office to ensure he signs the budget, including critical progressive revenue to maintain essential services (we will have a script and time to practice!)
- Help others speak up and take action as well.
This event is free and open to all, but registration is required.
Register here: https://homelessinfo.secure.nonprofitsoapbox.com/apr30advocacy
Join Our Next Meeting!
Our May meeting is a big one.
This two-hour meeting is an annual event that includes a state legislative debrief with elected official guests, a look back at everything this Coalition has accomplished so far in 2025, and an introduction to our slate of candidates for our board of directors, with elections opening the same day. Remember, voting on our slate of candidates for board of directors is one of the perks of being a Coalition member! So, use your voice and help us build the backbone of this Coalition together.
Register for our May 15 meeting (9-11 a.m.) here: https://homelessinfo.secure.nonprofitsoapbox.com/2025-annual-membership-meeting