Public Benefits

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...

New rules issued by the Bush administration would drastically reduce the help those with special needs receive when leaving an institution.

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.

When retirement looms, many military families with children with special needs face a decision about whether or not to choose the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) retirement option. Receipt of SBP payments could jeopardize the child's eligibility for SSI and Medicaid.

First Focus, a bipartisan advocacy group, has recently published it's Children's Budget 2008, a guide to over 180 children's programs which are funded by the federal government.

The Obama administration may be on the brink of scuttling a new national long-term care insurance program that was part of the health reform law.

When parents of a child with special needs divorce, income and custody could negatively affect the child's government benefits. Here are several things to look for in regards to this complicated issue.