Special Needs Trust Tag

The signing of a Trust document is the start of a new process. A Trust isn’t just a “form.” It’s a legal structure with real consequences that has to be handled carefully in order to assure that the trust creator’s purposes can be achieved. If the Trustee uses the Trust’s funds in ways that aren’t...

The term “special needs trust” is used to refer to a trust that’s for benefit of a person with disabilities who depends on means-tested public benefits that have income limits or resource/asset limits. Sometimes these are “first party trusts” — created by the disabled person (over age 18) or his parent, grandparent, or guardian with court permission, or by a...

An innovative community service for people with special needs was recently opened in Essex County called “LifeTown: The Jerry Gottesman Center” in Livingston. It’s like a mini-mall filled with shops such as a pet store, a book store, a bank, a movie theater and a food market, as well as  recreational venues including  a music studio, basketball court and more. Evidently...

The years really fly by. I can’t tell you how many times some one has come in to meet with me who signed a Will 25 years before and never updated it. When major changes occur in your life, it’s important to see your lawyer for a “check up” to make sure that your old Plan is still a good Plan for you. Here are samples of situations I have encountered, which required an...

A person who is receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the Social Security Administration must report changes in his income or resources (assets) to SSI, because this can affect his eligibility or the amount of benefits. If countable resources exceed $2,000 on the first of a month, eligibility can be lost. If the issue is detected after the fact, there can be a resulting overpayment...

When an individual with disabilities needs the primary support that’s available through means-tested benefits such as Medicaid Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) or SSI or HUD housing, having excess resources creates a barrier to eligibility. First party Special Needs Trusts for sole benefit of the disabled individual  are often the strategy of choice, as the disabled individual can...

Funding a first party Special Needs Trust with alimony, an inheritance, or a personal injury settlement can preserve those assets for benefit of a person who is receiving or applying for means-tested government benefits such as SSI, DDD or Medicaid/MLTSS. There is quite a process to establish the trust and then fund it with these assets. But that’s just the beginning — not the end....

Today is a good-news day for people with disabilities who want to set up a Special Needs Trust to preserve their eligibility for critical benefits: the President has signed the Special Needs Fairness Act — S349 — into law. . Since 1993, an applicant or recipient of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medicaid (now MLTSS in New Jersey) has been able to shelter their excess...

New Jersey has a lot of roads to eligibility for Medicaid, and that’s a good thing.  All of those roads are called NJ FamilyCare, and that’s a confusing thing. Medicaid in New Jersey is provided by five Managed Care Organizations (MCO) now through NJ FamilyCare.  You must choose one to get services, including long-term services and supports (LTSS), which will be coordinated by the...

On October 14th, Governor Christie signed a tax package into law which does away with the New Jersey estate tax  and certain income taxes in exchange for a 23 cent per gallon increase in the gasoline tax so that the roads and bridges can be repaired. There’s still no estate tax on any assets that pass at death to your spouse.  At the present time, the estate tax exclusion is only...