Episode 110: More Questions & Answers with host Annette Hines

Annette LOVES all the questions she gets because she LOVES doing these question and answer podcasts.  Making sure the disabled community has access to all the information they need is key to Annette.  This is one reason why in addition to being a successful attorney, Annette is a podcast host, speaker, author and blogger.  

As an attorney, Annette does have an ethical responsibility though to not engage in a client /attorney relationship with someone who is not a client.  Since each case is vastly different, she is not able to give legal advice on a personal level.  These question and answer sessions allow her to give general information on a specific topic.  In this episode Annette discusses Foster Care and Social Security payments, putting Real Estate in a Special Needs Trust and Stimulus Payments regarding Social Security and Medicaid.

The first topic covered is the foster care system and Social Security payments.  10% of children in foster care are entitled to Social Security benefits but it has been discovered that they are not being told about this.  The foster care agencies are collecting these payments and are supposedly using the money towards the child’s care at the facility.  NPR did a great investigations article about this just recently which you can read here.  Do you feel this is right of the government to decide who gets to be the representative payee of a foster child that is entitled to Social Security benefits?  Please Contact Us  and tell us your thoughts. 

Annette next goes into some estate planning decisions – should you put your house into your Special Needs Trust?  This often comes up as you will want to make sure your disabled child or sibling has somewhere to live once you are no longer around to take care of them.    But what if you have multiple beneficiaries? Can you leave either half or one-third of a house in a trust?  Will this cause too many challenges or be unfair for a trustee and/or beneficiaries?

Annette’s final topic of the podcast revolves around stimulus payments or economic impact payments.  How does Social Security and Medicaid view these payments in regards to a person that collects their benefits?  Are the stimulus payments considered income or part of the $2,000 asset limit?  Also, what if you received a stimulus payment but you passed away?

Have you been searching for a law firm that understands the unique challenges of your family? We can help you at Special Needs Law Group put legal planning in place to protect you and your loved ones now and in the future. Book a free call today with our team or contact us via our website: specialneeds-law.com/contact.