New York Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog
If you have included a special needs trust as part of your estate plan, you need to know the importance of making sure the distributions from that trust are permissible per the terms of the trust and do not defeat the purpose of the trust by affecting eligibility for needed government programs.
Effect of Distribution
A special needs trust is one way to supplement the needs of a disabled loved one without compromising eligibility for means-tested government benefits, including Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid coverage. With respect to means-tested programs, federal law will require a reduction in benefits to the extent the beneficiary receives income or assets are otherwise made available to the beneficiary. For example: