Central Florida Special
Needs Planning & Trusts
Do you have a child or spouse who is disabled?
Our mission is to ease your fears and empower you to make informed decisions for their lifelong care.
With our compassionate guidance, we can create a plan that provides for them financially while also protecting their government benefits.
How can I ensure my disabled loved one is financially protected?
Here’s the truth:
Without proper planning, access to crucial government benefits like Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Medicaid, and Medicare can be jeopardized unintentionally by well-meaning family members.
How does this occur?
When disabled loved ones receive funds directly from family or other sources, this can have adverse consequences. While the hope is to give financial support, it can actually lead to disqualification from essential benefits.
Eventually, these personal funds may be depleted, and then there will no longer be funds for their living expenses.
We suggest creating a special needs trust. A special needs trust will help protect their funds without removing their access to benefits.
If you have a disabled loved one, it’s crucial to plan ahead for their future care. Contact us at (833) 358-7878 or click here to get started today.
What is a Special Needs Trust and how does it work?
A Special Needs Trust enables you to provide financial assistance to your disabled family members while safeguarding their public benefits.
Instead of giving money directly to your disabled child or spouse, you put it into a trust. This way, the government won’t count it against them.
If you have a disabled loved one, you can choose between two types of trusts to safeguard their benefits and provide for their future.
First-Party Trust or Self-settled Trust
Funded with assets belonging to the disabled loved one (like an inheritance).
When they pass away, any remaining funds go back to the government to cover the expenses of medical care they received.
Third-Party Trust
Funded with assets owned by someone else, like a parent.
When they pass away, the remaining funds return to the family members and are NOT given to the government.
We understand you want the best for your disabled loved one. You don’t want them to lose benefits because of an honest mistake.
Setting up and funding the trust correctly is crucial. Plus, the trust funds must be used properly to avoid loss of benefits.
Our special needs trusts are carefully designed to ensure that your loved one is afforded all of the protections that are legally available.
Planning for a special needs loved one can feel complicated.
We’re here to make it easier.
Special needs trusts offer families numerous benefits for future planning, but they require working with government benefits and dealing with a lot of rules.
You may wonder:
How can I make sure my loved one is okay when I'm gone?
Who will take care of them and keep them safe?
Will they still get their benefits?
How can I safely make future financial contributions?
Advantages of establishing a Special Needs Trust
Caring for a loved one with special needs involves many considerations, but a Special Needs Trust can offer peace of mind and support in various ways.
Here are some of the advantages of setting up a special needs trust:
Options for Funding
Special needs trusts let you fund them in different ways. You can use cash, stocks, or other types of assets.
Tax-free Contributions
Family members can contribute to the trust without worrying about gift taxes.
Retaining Control
You are the trustee until you’re unable to be, you choose your successor trustees that will continue the trust, and you decide how and when funds are distributed within government guidelines.
Improving Their Quality of Life
The trust can cover a range of needs, such as education and personal care, without affecting their benefits.
A special needs trust is a valuable tool when used correctly.
Our team is here to help you set it up in a way that suits your family’s needs best while ensuring seamless continuity of benefits for your loved one.
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