THE HOME
by Thomas D. Begley, Jr., Esquire, CELA HOW TO OWN THE HOME One of the most significant issues facing every trustee of the special needs trust is housing for the trust beneficiary. The monthly SSI payment is insufficient in almost every part of the country to provide housing, other than Section 8 Housing, to…
SPECIAL ASSETS
by Thomas D. Begley, Jr., Esquire, CELA THE VEHICLE The special needs beneficiaries and their families need to buy a vehicle, very often a handicap van. The issue is: who should own the vehicle? Trust Purchases Vehicle Titled in Name of the Trust The advantage of this arrangement is that it gives the…
DISTRIBUTIONS FOR ENTERTAINMENT, MEDICAL EXPENSES, CREDIT CARDS, DEBIT CARDS, AND GIFT CARDS
by Thomas D. Begley, Jr., Esquire, CELA DISTRIBUTIONS RELATED TO ENTERTAINMENT Care must be taken when distributions are made for recreational activities, such as vacations. Some entertainment activities involve shelter. Taking a vacation usually involves shelter. SSA defines income as something one can use to get shelter. The POMS gives an example of an…
ADMINISTRATION OF A SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST
by Thomas D. Begley, Jr., Esquire, CELA PRELIMINARY MATTERS Administration of a Special Needs Trust is complex. It is critical that distributions be made in such a manner that the beneficiary maintains public benefits. The trustee must be aware of the rules pertaining to each public benefit program to which the beneficiary is entitled…