A special needs trust can help individuals hold on to critical benefits while still using their funds to enhance their quality of life.
For individuals with disabilities, access is the key to living a full and meaningful life — one that includes quality care, safe housing, social connection and opportunities to grow. It can be as simple as getting to a doctor’s appointment or as life-changing as enrolling in a job training program or finding a long-term place to call home.
For families and loved ones, helping someone access these essentials can feel like navigating a maze. Many families run into limits, especially when public benefits come with strict rules about income and assets. That’s where smart planning can make a huge difference.
One option when planning is to establish a Special Needs Trust (SNT). An SNT is a vehicle to leave significant assets for the benefit of a loved one with a disability. A SNT protects the beneficiary’s eligibility for means-tested government benefits like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Essentially, a SNT can help individuals hold on to critical benefits while still using their funds to enhance their quality of life. Whether it’s for medical expenses, educational programs or social experiences, these tools can create flexibility and peace of mind for families who want to provide lasting support.
Nonprofit organizations like Community Fund Ohio can assist families and their attorneys with how to determine which type of SNT best addresses their loved ones’ unique needs.
Creating access is about more than paperwork or policy. It’s about dignity, independence and possibility. The right resources can help make that world a reality — one person, one plan and one bright future at a time.
For more than 30 years, Community Fund Ohio has been enhancing life for Ohio residents with disabilities by protecting their eligibility for government benefits and funding their current and future needs through pooled special needs trusts, grants and education. Visit communityfundohio.org to learn more.
