Social Security Administration

New POMS may change the way retained funds may be used by Pooled Trust Administrators
Continue Reading New POMS are potentially in the pipeline regarding Pooled Special Needs Trusts’ Use of Retained Funds after Death of SSI Beneficiary

With millions upon millions of baby boomers about to retire, the Social Security Administration has created an online  “retirement benefits estimator” that is a substantial improvement over the previous Internet version. Go to  www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.

There are a number of things that are significant improvements.  Unlike previous versions, this one uses your actual Social Security

The new 2008 Deeming Chart should be used by banks and other Special Needs Trust Administrators judiciously.  Pay particular attention to the qualifications indicating when the trust may not be used, which appear at the end of the chart.  Also be aware that these numbers increase annually, but a slight amount, due to changes in

The organizers of the Florida State Guardianship Annual Convention asked me to prepare some comments on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid – It Just Keeps Changing.  The ten page paper highlights changes in how  attorneys and guardians of disabled individuals will have to change the way they interact with SSA, video hearings, “paperless” medical

There are no clear instructions from the Social Security Administration on whether a trustee of a Special Needs Trust can use a disabled person’s d4A Special Needs Trust to support a healthy spouse and dependent children. 

For statutory and policy reasons, we argue, not only can a trustee use a disabled beneficiary’s self-settled SNT funds in

 

Social Security Region 4   

Good news!  One of the tasks of our Florida Bar Elder Law Section’s Special Needs Committee which I co-chaired this year, was to petition the Social Security Administration to change the Atlanta Regional POMS on Trusts.  Specifically, we wanted recognition that the Doctrine of Worthier Title no longer applied in

The four major programs fall nicely into a Matrix: the two columns are the monthly SSA payments (either RIB/DIB or SSI) which trigger the two major medical programs, Medicare and Medicaid.  The two rows indicate which two programs are insurance-based (RIB/DIB and Medicare) and which two are welfare programs with monthly means-testing for income

If you’ve ever wondered how the Social Security Administration decides whether a person is disabled, look here.

If you’ve wondered what are the steps to get disability, look here, and note the length of time between each step.

If you’re absolutely bewildered by the length of time it takes to get a hearing

On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriages.  The ruling took effect on June 17, 2008.   On June 6th, the Social Security Administration issued EM-08061, an Emergency Message telling the 61,000 member staff to "wait for instructions" before answering any questions about the effect of the ruling on certain Social Security benefits

The first week of July, we will be presenting a "webinar" (an Internet Seminar) for members of the Academy of Special Needs Planners on the POMS and how to use them.  "POMS" is an acronym for the "Program Operations Manual System," the Social Security Administration’s staff manual for its 61,000 employees.  In preparation for the