18
Nov
What can you do if your special needs child has too much money in his or her name to qualify for SSI and Medicaid? Last week, we talked about spending the money down. Let’s now take a look at other alternatives. My special needs child is under age 18 and received an unexpected inheritance of […]
11
Nov
Government programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid are needs based. This means that an individual must have limited resources and satisfy certain other requirements. SSI provides a maximum monthly cash benefit for a disabled individual living alone of $808 in 2014. This includes a federal benefit of $721 plus a state benefit […]
28
Oct
As someone who assists parents with 17-A guardianship petitions, I receive many questions regarding various aspects of guardianship. Below are some of the more common questions along with answers as I understand them to be correct. The information provided is merely intended to guide you and is not designed or intended to provide legal advice. […]
15
Oct
What’s the difference between Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI)? SSI is a needs-based program which provides a monthly income. In order to be eligible, the individual’s resources and income cannot exceed certain limits. The resource limit is $2,000. The person’s income limitation is dependent on a formula which is based […]
26
Sep
Attend our Special Needs Parent Connection Support Group meeting on Saturday, October 4th to learn how to advocate for your child’s healthcare. Arlene Reith will be speaking about how to educate and communicate with medical providers in a healthcare situation. Arlene Reith is a dedicated patient safety advocate who personally understands the difficulties that individual […]
22
Oct
As someone who assists parents with 17-A guardianship petitions, I receive many questions regarding various aspects of guardianship. Below are some of the more common questions along with answers as I understand them to be correct. However, I am not an attorney. The information provided is merely intended to guide you and is not designed […]
19
Sep
Summer’s over and it’s time to review where you are and determine what needs to be done to properly plan for your special needs child’s future. Here is a quick checklist to get you started. Have you addressed the issue of guardianship? If your child is 18 or older, you no longer have the legal […]
28
Aug
In preparation for your meeting with your attorney, you may want to consider the following: _____Is your attorney well-versed in the area of special needs? How many special needs trusts did he or she design during the previous year? _____If you plan to divide your estate equally between your children, is that really equitable? _____How […]
06
Feb
What will the next 40 years bring us? The next 80 years? Our tendency is to take a snapshot of our current situation and project that into the future, but if we think about it, that’s not how it really works. For instance, when my brother, Scott was born in 1961, his life expectancy was […]
31
Jan
What are your plans for your special needs child once he or she leaves the public school system at age 21? Were you thinking of getting a placement for your child in a group home? If so, you may want to reevaluate your options. New York State does not anticipate building more group homes for […]