Q. Our daughter is going through a divorce. She has a 24 year old son (our Grandson) who has a disability and gets both SSI and Medi-Cal. She plans to seek child support from the father. We worry that the child support will reduce our Grandson’s SSI and possibly eliminate his Medi-Cal. Is there a… Read More »
Posts Categorized: Special Needs Planning
New SSI Rules Will Make It Easier For SSI Recipients To Avoid Benefit Reductions
Q. My wife and I have an adult son with a disability. He receives SSI and lives in our home and pays us a modest rent from his SSI benefit. We also help him with groceries. We report this to SSI. To date, our “assistance” to him has been deemed a subsidy by SSI, and… Read More »
Can I Keep My SSI If My Ex-Spouse Pays Me Support?
Q. I recently qualified for SSI and Medi-Cal, but I am going through a divorce . I worry that when my ex-spouse is ordered to pay me Spousal Support, I may then lose my SSI and Medi-Cal. Is there a way that I can keep my public benefits and also receive support? I am now… Read More »
Are You Missing Out on Benefits?
Q. Is there any resource on the Internet which has a compilation of benefit programs for seniors, all in one place and that’s easy to use? A. Yes! You may be unaware that seniors have access to hundreds of federal and state benefits programs that may assist them. Many retirees meet the requirements for these… Read More »
What’s Involved in Administering a Trust?
Q. My mother recently died. Her home, bank accounts and other assets were held in a Living Trust. Her financial advisor said we should now see a lawyer to help with trust administration. What? I thought if you had a Living Trust that there was little or nothing to do following the death of the… Read More »
Planning an Inheritance for a Child on Public Benefits
Q. One of our adult children has a disability and receives SSI and Medi-Cal. We are concerned that an inheritance may terminate his benefits. We have heard something about a Special Needs Trust. Can you tell us more about that? A. Sure. As you apparently know, under present rules your son cannot have more than… Read More »
How To Preserve Public Benefits For an Adult Child In Divorce
Q. Our daughter is going through a divorce. She has a 19 year old son (our Grandson) who has a disability and gets both SSI and Medi-Cal. She plans to seek child support from the father. We worry that the child support will reduce our Grandson’s SSI and possibly eliminate his Medi-Cal. Is there a… Read More »
Spouse on Medi-Cal? May Be Time To Change Your Will
Q. My husband is in a nursing home and has qualified for a Medi-Cal subsidy to help with care expenses. To qualify, I was obliged to take his name off of most of our bank accounts, so that almost everything is in my name now. However, I have my own health problems and I wonder… Read More »
Special Planning for an Incapacitated Spouse
Q. My wife suffers from dementia and has been in a nursing home for some time. About a year ago, we put everything in my name so she could qualify for a Medi-Cal subsidy to help pay for her care. We currently have only simple wills which leave everything to the survivor of us, and… Read More »
INHERITANCE WHILE ON MEDI-CAL?
Q. My 86-year-old mother is in a nursing home and receives a Medi-Cal subsidy. We just learned that her brother died and left her $200,000 in his trust. Will the receipt of this inheritance bounce mom off of Medi-Cal? Is there anything we can do? A. The answer to your first question is easy: yes,… Read More »