November 2, 2022 by Sarah

woman's feet with crutches and a walking castAre you, or a loved one, entitled to receive settlement proceeds from a lawsuit that would affect your eligibility for means-tested government benefits such as Medicaid and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

NYSARC’s Community Trust I and Community Trust III programs qualify as pooled supplemental needs trusts that allow people with disabilities and injured workers to deposit proceeds from a lawsuit while maintaining their financial eligibility to qualify for means-tested government benefits. You can deposit funds as a lump sum and/or structured settlement payments.

This allows people with disabilities to safeguard the essential benefits that support their daily living needs while the settlement proceeds deposited into the trust can pay for uncovered medical expenses and purchase life-enhancing items and services not covered by Medicaid and/or SSI.

Benefits of a NYSARC Pooled Trust

  • Accounts established quickly with as little as $300
  • Pooling funds reduces administrative costs and offers opportunity for growth
  • Professional trust administration by an experienced not-for-profit trustee
  • Extensive knowledge of government benefits and the needs of people with disabilities
  • A dedicated team of representatives who help you manage assets in the trust
  • Investments managed by a financial institution as co-trustee
  • You get your own sub-trust account with online access to track account activity

When to consider a pooled trust for settlement proceeds?

Establishing an SNT on your own can be costly to set up and maintain. With a pooled SNT, you get all of the benefits of working with a professional trustee with extensive fiduciary and wealth management experience and the cost savings and efficiency of a pooled trust. You may consider a pooled trust when:

  • You want to maximize the value of settlement proceeds with lower fees and opportunity for investment growth
  • The trust beneficiary has complex medical needs and could benefit from a professional trustee who understands government benefits and the needs of people with disabilities
  • There is not an appropriate person to serve as trustee of an individual SNT
  • You are receiving a modest sum of money
  • The trust beneficiary is over the age of 65, therefore, they must use a pooled trust to spend-down funds for benefit eligibility purposes

Are you an attorney assisting a client with a disability who needs to protect settlement proceeds? Download this brochure for more information.

Does your settlement include a Medicare Set Aside (MSA) Account? We can help with that too! Learn more.

Disclaimer: This content is intended for educational purposes only and shall not constitute the provision of professional legal, tax or other advice. NYSARC, Inc. shall have no liability for errors, incorrect information, or inapplicability of information provided to any particular person/reader.

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