Public Benefits

As with almost every other issue in this year's presidential campaign, Senators Barack Obama and John McCain differ when it comes to their plans for helping people with special needs. We have attempted to give the best possible summary...

Each public benefits program has restrictions that the special needs trust must comply with in order not to jeopardize the beneficiary's continued eligibility for public benefits. Both Medicaid and SSI are quite restrictive, making it difficult for a beneficiary to...

One of the programs on the cutting edge of community mental health is called "supportive housing," and it incorporates not only housing but social services and medical care as well.

While there is no such thing as a "typical" divorce, a divorcing couple that has a child with special needs faces an even more complicated series of decisions and choices than most, such as the impact of child support payments on...

Parents of a child with special needs are often daunted by the different government programs that fall under the general definition of "disability benefits." To make matters worse, two of the most common benefit programs available also have very similar...

An attorney who attended the Academy of Special Needs Planners' recent Annual Meeting in New Orleans reports on his post-Katrina view of the city and the volunteer effort to refurbish the headquarters of a local organization that assists special needs...

While creating a financial plan and establishing a specialized trust are central to preparing for your child's future, planners also advise families to write down their intentions and expectations in a special document.

Individuals with special needs who file a federal income tax return, even if they are not required to do so, may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a special credit that has existed for the last 36 years to...

The U.S. House of Representatives, in what is seen as a victory for advocates of people with special needs, passed a bill that would put off implementation of several new Medicaid regulations until early 2009.