Guardian Trust

Listening to Eric Skidmore raise the issue again, I realized we all need to be careful.   Eric is the Supervisor in the Office of SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and Representative Payee Policy at the Social Security Administration in Baltimore, Maryland.  His group writes the POMS (Program Operations Manual System) sections on resources, income and state supplementation.  The POMS is the manual for Social Security workers to follow in regards to the SSI program.   The first time I listened to Eric speak on the concerns regarding reimbursement was at Stetson Law School's Special Needs Trust Conference in October 2011.  This month Eric spoke to us at the Academy of Special Needs Planners annual conference in Memphis, Tennessee.  Eric reiterated the Administration's position that if a Trust reimburses anyone who pays for "anything" for a person receiving SSI they will consider the payment to the third party as in-kind income (not In Kind Support and Maintenance

We are excited to announce the launch of the Guardian Trust blog! Our blog will feature information that we feel may be useful to professionals assisting clients with Special Needs Trust issues, as well as information for family members and beneficiaries doing their own research. We will also feature blog posts from our Co-Trustees, Board Certified Elder Law attorney Travis D. Finchum and Elder Law attorney Steven E. Hitchcock . Aside from serving as Co-Trustees for the various Guardian Trusts, Travis and Steve are practicing attorneys whose practice focuses on estate planning, probate, trust administration and guardianship, with a special emphasis on helping families plan for a member with special needs. They also help families plan for incapacity through alternatives to guardianship. Travis will be speaking to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Pasco County in April about Special Needs Trusts.  Steve will be speaking with professional guardians of the S