Public Benefits

At least 36 states and the District of Columbia are diverting federal benefits like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security survivors’ benefits owed to children in foster care. ...

The Biden administration has announced relief for hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities who had their federal student loan debt reinstated because they failed to submit the proper paperwork during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A bipartisan bill fixes a flaw in earlier legislation and would finally allow any veteran to allocate pension payments to a trust for their survivors with special needs. ...

Although it took more than a year of back and forth, a comprehensive health care reform bill and an associated reconciliation bill finally passed both houses of Congress. We have highlighted some of the most important features of health care...

Special Needs 101

Even before the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) expanded Medicaid access for hundreds of thousands of people, a little-known program called Medicaid Buy-In allowed people with disabilities who work to qualify for Medicaid benefits even though their incomes...

Special Needs 101

The PASS program allows SSI beneficiaries to use their non-SSI income to pay for job training or to start a business. If beneficiaries follow the complicated rules governing the program, the Social Security Administration will not count income used for...

Special Needs 101

In many states, full Medicaid coverage is often equal to, or even better than, many private health insurance plans, allowing SSI beneficiaries and other Medicaid recipients to effectively manage their illness or disability. However, many Medicaid recipients don't realize that...

Special Needs 101

There are so many programs and services available for people with disabilities that it can make your head spin. Fortunately, the federal government has created a Web site that collects information about a wide variety of state and federal resources...

Special Needs 101

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is one of the major federal programs that provides monetary assistance to people with disabilities. Although the lack of strict financial standards makes SSDI benefits easier to manage once they are obtained, not everyone with...

Special Needs 101