Special Needs Trusts

Boston Special Needs Trusts Attorneys

A special needs trust offers a unique opportunity for qualified individuals to provide money to a disabled family member without causing that person to lose eligibility for state and federal governmental benefits such as Medicaid. Placing personal assets in a special needs trust can help an elderly or disabled person become eligible for state and federal benefits.

Normally, when you have private assets, they are considered in calculating eligibility for governmental benefits. By making a gift to a disabled person, you can actually cause that person to lose eligibility for the benefits they need. If money is placed in a special needs trust, it is not countable toward consideration of eligibility for governmental benefits.

A special needs trust can be used in two ways:

• To maintain a person's eligibility for governmental benefits
• To allow a person to become eligible for governmental benefits

Federal and state benefits can be worth millions of dollars to a person who needs long-term care and assistance. The cost of long-term care would break anyone, no matter how much money they have. A special needs trust allows qualified individuals to supplement governmental benefits, without endangering those benefits.

With sufficient planning a special needs trust can also be used as a part of Medicaid-planning for elderly who want Medicaid assistance to pay for their nursing homes.

Contact a Boston special needs trust attorney at Blake & Associates.