Public Benefits

Last month we discussed some initial things that every trustee of a special needs trust should do upon learning that the primary beneficiary has passed away. Now, we'll explore additional steps to consider when closing out the trust.

On October 8, 2010, President Obama signed the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act into law. The law guarantees those with visual and hearing impairments easy access to communications technologies like the Internet and television.

A recent National Public Radio (NPR) report on disability benefits has drawn fire from disability advocates and eight former Commissioners of the Social Security Administration for relying on anecdotal evidence and exaggeration to imply that people are abusing the Social...

If you are receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medicaid benefits, receipt of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) could cause you to lose your SSI or Medicaid benefits.

If an applicant for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a needs-based federal disability benefit, transfers assets out of her name prior to applying for benefits, she could face a stiff transfer penalty that would delay receipt of often vital services.

While long-term disability policies represent an opportunity for a worker with disabilities to provide for her family, they don't always operate as expected.

SSDI payments, like Social Security retirement benefits, can be taxed, depending on the SSDI beneficiary’s other income. Use this short primer explaining how the IRS taxes these benefits to avoid confusion.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently proposed new regulations for how it determines whether someone with a mental disorder is eligible for disability payments. Mental health advocates are concerned that the proposed rules will lead to the use of...

Gift cards are popular gifts, but they can cause problems for recipients who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Consider a few things when it comes to purchasing a gift card for a person with special needs who relies on this...