Special Needs Planning

Special Needs Planning ensures the continued security and quality of life for individuals with special needs, even when their caregivers are gone.

Government disability programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) have complex eligibility rules, and provide limited income and few exceptions to the $2,000 resource limit. Yet, most special needs families desire for their loved ones to be well-cared for. Maximizing the exceptions to this dismal resource rule requires skillful knowledge of disability program rules and experience.

A former appellate attorney for the Social Security Administration, and now legal advocate for special needs families, our firm’s Managing Attorney, Adriane S. Grace, knows first-hand the challenges of securing Public Benefits such as Medicaid and SSI. That’s why she believes it is so important that special needs families create plans that ensure continued eligibility for these government programs, while providing meaningful financial resources for supplementing their loved ones’ basic needs.

Grace Estate Law offers advice and counsel with government benefits planning and special needs planning. We have extensive experience with supplemental needs trusts, ABLE accounts, applications and appeals for SSI benefits, and Medicaid benefits.

We understand the challenges caregivers face when attempting to navigate public benefit programs for their disabled family members. We offer personalized legal advice concerning the following issues:

1. Disability program eligibility rules (Disability Insurance Benefits, Supplemental Security Income/SSI, Disabled Adult Child Benefits, Disabled Widow/Widower Benefits).
2. Income and resource eligibility rules for disability programs such as Supplemental Security Income/SSI and Medicaid.
3. Medicare and Medicaid programs available for disability recipients.
4. Legal options for conserving excess income and resources while maintaining eligibility for disability programs such as SSI and Medicaid.
5. Applying to become representative payee for Social Security benefits, and rules concerning responsibilities and duties of a representative payee.
6. Work programs for the disabled.
7. Planning with Supplemental/Special Needs Trusts and ABLE accounts.