Public Benefits

In a move that is being compared to the Title IX expansion of athletic opportunities for women, the U.S. Department of Education has issued guidance to all elementary and secondary schools explaining that they must provide students with disabilities equal...

For anyone who deals with the frustrations of working with the many bureaucracies intended to help the special needs community, there is now a unique Internet-based organization to help along the way.

In response to a negative New York Times op-ed, advocates for people with disabilities and anti-poverty crusaders are attempting to get the facts out about younger Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, and the picture that emerges is very different from...

The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in a case that questions just how much money a state can actually recover when it comes time to collect its Medicaid lien on a personal injury award.

When it comes to child care the military generally tries to help families with special needs in a variety of ways.

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...

Special needs trusts (also known as "supplemental needs" trusts) allow a disabled beneficiary to receive gifts, lawsuit settlements, or other funds and yet not lose his or her eligibility for certain government programs. Such trusts are drafted so that the...

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...

The most challenging obstacle for many individuals with disabilities is to find a safe, clean, and affordable place to live. Currently, many individuals with disabilities rely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Section 8 housing vouchers, distributions from a...