In-kind Support and Maintenance (ISM)

In-Kind Support and Maintenance – A Trap for the Unwary

This edition of the Voice is written by Leonard Anderson, Esq. Leonard is a Partner at Barlow Anderson, LLC in Anchorage, Alaska, where he has been practicing in the elder law field for more than 25 years. He is a member the Special Needs Alliance and his practice areas include probate, estate planning, guardianships, special needs planning, and trusts. He is a past president of the Anchorage Bar Association and is a member of the Probate Rules Committee for State of Alaska.

2024-05-07T13:58:56-04:00Tags: |

How In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM) Affects Benefits

By Martha C. Brown, CELA Special needs trusts (SNTs) are established to supplement the benefits that individuals with disabilities receive from government programs, such as Medicaid and SSI (Supplemental Security Income). They protect funds intended to enhance quality of life without rendering the beneficiary ineligible for means-tested benefits. Since SSI is meant to cover food [...]

2024-05-21T16:27:09-04:00

Avoiding SSI Reductions When An Adult With Disabilities Lives With Family

By Neal A. Winston, CELA When individuals with disabilities live with family members, it can complicate their eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Since SSI’s monthly cash payments are meant to pay for food and shelter, contributions from others for such living expenses may reduce SSI or could disqualify the beneficiary completely. With planning, that [...]

2024-05-16T16:36:30-04:00

Distributions from Special Needs Trusts: In Kind Distributions, Credit Cards, Gift Cards, or Debit Cards

You are the trustee of a special needs trust. Your beneficiary (Beth) lives in public housing, receives SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and MA (Medical Assistance), and has just asked you for a $200 gift card to Target so that she can buy headphones, clothes, toiletries, and some food. Remember, a special needs trust (SNT) is [...]

2024-05-06T14:52:40-04:00Tags: |

An Introduction to "In-Kind Support and Maintenance"

You are reading The Voice, the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Raymon B. Harvey, Esq., who is an AV-rated sole practitioner in Little Rock, Arkansas. You can read more about Mr. Harvey, and his practice, at his office's website, which provides additional information about Special Needs Trusts and related issues such as Guardianship and Conservatorship, Medicaid eligibility, and other topics of concern to those with disabilities and their caretaker families.

2024-04-16T14:24:22-04:00Tags: |