Public Benefits

The advent of stringent reporting obligations for claimants entitled to Medicare has triggered a discussion among legal professionals regarding whether Medicare Set-Asides (MSAs) are required in liability cases under preexisting provisions of the Medicare Secondary Payer Act (MSP). In...

It can be very easy for untrustworthy people to steal from a trust designed to benefit a child with special needs, as a recent case from Rhode Island illustrates.

Trial lawyers can be held liable for failing to inform their clients of the effect proceeds of a suit can have on their benefits, even years after the matter has ended. While litigators need not become experts in probate and...

Most people would jump at the chance to earn additional income or to receive a large cash gift from a friend or relative. But for SSI recipients, extra income sometimes causes more problems than it's worth.

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka the stimulus bill), Congress has authorized one-time $250 payments to most Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries.

Uniform Transfer to Minors Act accounts are an easy, efficient way for family members to set aside money for children. But these accounts can also cause serious problems for SSI beneficiaries when the account funds suddenly become available resources.

While Social Security Disabled Adult Children's Benefits (DAC) benefits are a great option for many children with special needs, recipients need to be careful that they do not lose their Medicaid benefits.

You want to ensure that your child with special needs will remain financially secure even when you can’t be there to support them but determining how much a special needs trust (SNT) should hold is no small feat.   ...

An alternative to individual special needs trusts are "pooled trusts," which pool the resources of many beneficiaries. Becoming part of one may have advantages, depending on the situation.