The Problem 

If you are disabled or elderly  you may not qualify for certain government benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid , because your income or “countable assets” are too high.   Generally your home, furnishings, vehicle and certain other specific types of property are not counted, while  bank and financial accounts and the like are counted.

If you are already qualified, and your countable assets increase, you can lose your benefits.  For example, a parent or grandparent leaves assets to a loved one receiving government benefits and this disqualifies the loved one from receiving the benefits.  This can happen when the onset of disability is after the Will or other planning is done, or if the effect of the inheritance on government benefits is simply not addressed.  It can result in the recipient having to “spend down” the entire inheritance, i.e. pay out-of-pocket what the government benefit used to pay for.  When the entire inheritance is gone, the recipient is again eligible for benefits, but in the meantime  the entire inheritance has been wasted.

The Solution

Set up a special needs trust.  Special needs trusts, also called supplemental needs trusts, are trusts  designed to permit the beneficiary to enjoy the benefits of the assets owned by the trust without those assets being counted when qualifying for SSI or Medicaid.

A trust is an arrangement under which one person, the trustee, holds legal title to assets for the benefit of one or more other persons (the beneficiary or beneficiaries).  The trust agreement will contain  directions regarding administration, investment and distribution of trust assets.

First-Party Self-Settled Special Needs Trusts

Trusts funded with the disabled person’s own money are called first party special needs trusts.  They must meet strict requirements of federal law.  The trust must be irrevocable and established before age 65.  The trust must be for a disabled person and the trust assets can only be used for that person’s  benefit.  The trust must include a “payback” requirement.  That means any assets in the trust at termination, often at the death of the disabled person, must be paid to the state up to the amount of government benefits provided.  These trusts are often used when a disabled person comes into money, for example, upon settlement of a personal injury suit.

Third Party Supplemental Needs Trusts

Third party supplemental needs trusts are the solution to the inheritance problem.  Rather than leaving assets outright, the parent or grandparent leaves them to a trustee who receives them with the instructions to provide for the loved one’s needs – those that the government program does not cover – generally anything other than food and shelter.

It is important that the trustee has some discretion and is not required to distribute any income or principal to the beneficiary.  Also, the disabled person cannot have the right to demand payment of any income or principal of the trust from the trustee.  The trustee’s discretion and the beneficiary’s lack of a right to demand distributions are what keeps the trust assets from being countable resources under the SSI and Medicaid rules.

So long as the trust document provides trustee discretion and does not entitle the beneficiary to demand distributions, the trust can be very flexible otherwise.  These trusts are not subject to the strict federal requirements applicable to self-settled trusts.  For example, there can be other beneficiaries and their need not be a pay-back requirement.  Because the future is uncertain, every Will should contain  supplemental needs trust provisions that are triggered whenever a gift would be made under the Will directly to a person eligible for government benefits such as SSI or Medicaid.

Conclusion

Government benefits can be very important for the safety and security of the disabled and the elderly.  However, they are not very generous.  Through proper planning, a parent or other donor can ensure that their gift enhances the recipient’s quality of life and adds to  government benefits, rather than eliminating or reducing the government benefit.