Supplemental Needs Trust

Supplemental Needs Trust

Supplemental needs trusts (also known as “special needs” trusts) allow a disabled beneficiary to receive gifts, lawsuit settlements, or other funds and yet not lose her eligibility for certain government programs. Such trusts are drafted so that the funds will not be considered to belong to the beneficiary in determining her eligibility for public benefits. As their name implies, supplemental needs trusts are designed not to provide basic support, but instead to pay for comforts and luxuries that are not available from public assistance. These trusts typically pay for things like education, recreation, counseling, and medical services not provided by Medicaid. (However, the trustee can use trust funds for food, and shelter if the trustee decides doing so is in the beneficiary’s best interest despite a possible loss or reduction in public assistance.)

Very often, supplemental needs trusts are created by a parent or other family member for a disabled child (even though the child may be an adult by the time the trust is created or funded). Such trusts also may be set up in a will as a way for an individual to leave assets to a relative who has a disability.

Each public benefits program has restrictions that the supplemental needs trust must comply with in order not to jeopardize the beneficiary’s continued eligibility for public benefits. Both Medicaid and SSI are quite restrictive, making it difficult for a beneficiary to create a trust for his or her own benefit and still retain eligibility for Medicaid benefits. But both programs allow two “safe harbors” permitting the creation of supplemental needs trusts with a beneficiary’s own money if the trust meets certain requirements.

The first of these is called a “payback” or “(d)(4)(A)” trust, referring to the authorizing statute. “Payback” trusts are created with the assets of a disabled individual under age 65 and are established by his or her parent, grandparent or legal guardian, by the beneficiary, or by a court. They also must provide that at the beneficiary’s death any remaining trust funds will first be used to reimburse the state for Medicaid paid on the beneficiary’s behalf.

Medicaid and SSI law also permits “(d)(4)(C)” or “pooled trusts.” Such trusts pool the resources of many disabled beneficiaries, and those resources are managed by a non-profit association. Illinois requires that, at the beneficiary’s death the state has must be repaid for its Medicaid expenses on her behalf as long as the funds are retained in the trust for the benefit of other disabled beneficiaries. (At least, that’s what the federal law says; some states require reimbursement under all circumstances.) Although a pooled trust is an option for a disabled individual over age 65 who is receiving Medicaid or SSI, those over age 65 who make transfers to the trust will incur a transfer penalty.

Income paid from a supplemental needs trust to a beneficiary is another issue, particularly with regard to SSI benefits. In the case of SSI, the trust beneficiary would lose a dollar of SSI benefits for every dollar paid to him directly. In addition, payments by the trust to the beneficiary for food, or housing are considered “in kind” income and, again, the SSI benefit will be cut by one dollar for every dollar of value of such “in kind” income. Some attorneys draft the trusts to limit the trustee’s discretion to make such payments. Others do not limit the trustee’s discretion, but instead counsel the trustee on how the trust funds may be spent, permitting more flexibility for unforeseen events or changes in circumstances in the future. The difference has to do with philosophy, the situation of the client, and the amount of money in the trust.

Choosing a trustee is also an important issue in supplemental needs trusts. Most people do not have the expertise to manage a trust. An alternative is retaining the services of a professional trustee. For those who may be uncomfortable with the idea of an outsider managing a loved one’s affairs, it is possible to simultaneously appoint a trust “protector,” who has the powers to review accounts and to hire and fire trustees, and a trust “advisor,” who instructs the trustee on the beneficiary’s needs. However, if the trust fund is small, a professional trustee may not be interested. A pooled trust may be appropriate for a smaller trust where a professional trustee is preferred.

Important Memberships, Certifications, and Affiliations

NAELA
National Elder Law Foundation
Academy of Special Needs Planners
Rated by Super Lawyers
Leading Lawyers
Chicago Bar Association
Illinois State Bar Association
LGBT
Sage Care
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