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Showing posts from October, 2012

More on Special Needs Trusts from the Social Security Administration

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We have a few more nuggets from the head of Program Policy at the Office of Income Security Programs at the Social Security Administration, Eric Skidmore.   Mr. Skidmore participated via webcam at the Stetson College of Law’s Special Needs Trust National Conference on Friday, October 19, 2012.   There was a reaffirmation that a Special Needs Trust (SNT) cannot reimburse any person directly for expenses incurred on behalf of a SNT beneficiary that is receiving SSI benefits.   This would be considered in-kind income to the beneficiary and thus reduce SSI dollar-for-dollar.   Two other issues that were explored in more depth were the payments to family caregivers out of a SNT and the use of   funds in a SNT to pay back an overpayment to the Social Security Administration (SSA).   First, Mr. Skidmore clarified that the agency is not changing or adopting any new policies regarding payment of family caregivers.   There are no formal requirements that family members have any special trai

2012 Special Needs Trusts: The National Conference

The 2012 Special Needs Trust National Conference hosted by Stetson Law will be held October 17-19, 2012 in St. Petersburg, FL.  We have attended this conference for many years and always look forward to the latest news and updates that the speakers have to share with us. Our Co-Trustees Travis Finchum and Steve Hitchcock  travel year-round to programs that ensure we are staying up-to-date with the latest changes and updates regarding the administration of Special Needs Trusts. If you are planning to attend the conference, make sure you stop by to see us as we will be exhibiting at the conference and attending all three days.

We love our Guardians!

The month of October has many events on the calendar and (hopefully) also means cooler weather is around the corner.  It is also a time to celebrate National Guardianship month.  We work with both family guardians and professional guardians and we are most appreciative of all that they provide to our Beneficiaries. Guardians have many responsibilities and often times the professionals provide this service to multiple clients at one time.  We just wanted to extend our appreciation to all Guardians for their hard work and dedication to those who are in need. We appreciate you! To learn more about guardianship, click here . To find information about guardianship in Florida, click here .