Center for Independent Living Opportunities

12/29/2025

12/29/2025

Scam Alert Reminder: DHS will never call or text an individual to request personal information. Please report any texts or calls about DHS benefits that seem suspicious by calling the DHS fraud tip line at 1-844-DHS-TIPS (1-844-347-8477).

Remember, new scams are being hatched all the time. Find tips to keep you and your accounts safe: dhs.pa.gov/scams

12/29/2025

Attention Spanish-speaking Pennsylvanians! Property Tax/Rent Rebate program resources are available, including tutorial videos, forms, and an online application all in Spanish. Take advantage prior to the Dec. 31 filing deadline. https://www.pa.gov/agencies/revenue/get-assistance/spanish-resources.

12/29/2025

As the year draws to a close, now is the time to maximize tax savings by contributing to your ABLE account by December 31. Contributions to your PA ABLE account are tax deductible on your Pennsylvania state income tax for up to $19,000 per person. In 2026, the annual PA ABLE contribution limit will increase to $20,000, however the amount of PA ABLE contributions that you can deduct from PA state income taxes will remain at $19,000.

Other changes with ABLE accounts coming in 2026 include:

More Pennsylvanians, including many Veterans, will be eligible to open an account if their disability began before age 46 (previously 26).

Employed ABLE account owners may be able to contribute more than the annual contribution amount. Account owners who have not made contributions to a defined contribution plan, annuity contract, or deferred compensation plan during a tax year may contribute up to $15,650 above the annual contribution limit.

Funds in a 529 account owned by the ABLE account owner or a member of the ABLE account owner’s family may be rolled over into that ABLE account.

Certain ABLE account owners may be able to claim a federal tax credit for contributions made to their ABLE accounts.

For more information, visit: paable.gov

12/29/2025

Changing Hands has 3 pediatric manual wheelchairs available for pick up in Camp Hill, PA. The small blue one has a seat that is 10" wide. The orange one with the headrest is 14" wide and the orange one with no head rest has a seat that is 16" wide. If you are interested in one of these wheelchairs, please e-mail atucp@ucpcentralpa.org for more information or to schedule a day and time to pick it up. We are not able to monitor facebook messages and only respond to e-mails.

12/29/2025

C5 Quad Ian Ruder shows how he builds complex LEGO structures like the 7,500-piece Millennium Falcon using a couple of simple tools and the right techniques. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p3-82KhlyE

12/29/2025

Click here for an update from York Fresh Food Farms!

12/29/2025

Save the date!

Save the date!

The Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) Hearing Loss Expo is coming up on March 10 & 11, 2026.

Click here to learn more & register: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dli/programs-services/disability-and-vocational-rehabilitation/odhh.html

12/29/2025

Blue Origin made history Saturday, sending for the first time a person who uses a wheelchair past the Kármán line, an internationally recognized boundary of space that's 62 miles above Earth.

Michaela "Michi" Benthaus, who suffered a spinal cord injury after a mountain biking accident in 2018, and her five teammates, who nicknamed themselves the "Out of the Blue" crew, spent several minutes in microgravity before safely returning to Earth with the assistance of parachutes and a retro thrust system.

The entire mission lasted about 10 minutes. https://abcnews.visitlink.me/CFRFhf

12/29/2025

Creating your personal my Social Security account only takes a few minutes – and we’ll show you how. Check out this quick video to get started: https://youtu.be/3JLt_Hir_vc?si=Fan2BawaPhBX2Jkr.

12/29/2025

Our step-by-step video tutorial walks you through the process of applying online for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program. Find out how you can use myPATH to submit your rebate application prior to the Dec. 31 filing deadline. More info is available at pa.gov/PTRR.

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas to all of our Consumers, Board Members and Followers!