Special Needs Planning

April 9, 2024

Can Gift Cards Affect SSI Benefits?

Americans sure love their gift cards!

In fact, according to Capital One Shopping, the U.S. accounts for approximately 38% of the global gift card market (at a value of $339.5 billion), with a whopping 54% of US consumers buying gift cards as holiday presents.

But, if you are thinking about buying a gift card as a birthday or holiday gift for someone who receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI), first make sure you understand how receiving a gift card may affect the benefits on which the recipient may rely.

March 12, 2024

Special Needs Planning: Choose a Trustee with a Network

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

By Colleen E. Masse

Planning a secure, comfortable, and fulfilling future for a loved one with a disability is a huge responsibility. It’s not a task to be undertaken lightly, or without expert legal assistance.

A strong plan has two parts. The first is the drafting and executing of core legal documents including power of attorney, a health care directive, a Will, and a special needs or supplemental needs trust. Each of these documents serves an important role, but they are just the foundation.

February 19, 2024

Owning an RV Can Affect SSI and Medicaid Benefits

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

An RV (recreational vehicle) is a home away from home on wheels that gives you the ability to enjoy a romantic lifestyle of freedom and adventure on the open road. It’s a fabulous way to see the country, and often a cost-effective way to travel.

It is also, however, a potential liability when it comes to qualifying for critical SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and Medicaid.

December 11, 2023

5 Things to Think About When Your Child With Special Needs Turns 18

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

By Colleen E. Masse

You did it! You made it to 18 and now your child is an…ADULT?!

Yes, that’s right, your little bundle of joy is all grown up and your work is done, or is it?

November 7, 2023

SSI and SSDI Benefits to Increase in 2024

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently announced that Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) monthly benefits will increase 3.2 percent in 2024.

Social Security recipients will see this cost-of-living (COLA) increase by January 2024, while SSI recipients will see the change go into effect beginning on December 29, 2023.

For SSI, the maximum payout for 2024 will rise to $943 per month (up from $914 per month). For individuals on SSI with an eligible spouse, the maximum monthly payments will total $1,415 (up from $1,371 per month).

August 16, 2023

How Equine-assisted Therapy is Helping People with Special Needs

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

The bond between people and horses is a strong one. Over the millennia, this interspecies relationship has evolved from one of equine servitude as a beast of burden to one in which horses share our lives in a much more intimate and integral way.

Cowboys in the West still rely on their trusty Quarter Horses to wrangle livestock. Equestrians all across the world breed, train, and compete with their four-legged athletic partners. And young children still fall in love with the idea of someday having a pony of their very own. Even people who have never ridden a horse can enjoy the animal’s majestic beauty.

Horses also often take on therapeutic roles. Dating back to Ancient Greece, equine therapy has long been used to treat a variety of physical ailments including cerebral palsy, behavioral tics, motor control issues, and coordination problems.

June 19, 2023

Wheelchair Transportation: A Quick Reference Guide

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

If you use a wheelchair or are a caregiver for a loved one who uses a wheelchair, you already know that transportation can be a challenging issue.

While experts agree that riding in a vehicle’s regular passenger seat is the safest option, if it’s too difficult or unsafe to transfer someone from their wheelchair into the vehicle, it’s time to look at alternative options. But which options are best, and how do you even know what to look for?

Two organizations doing research and publishing information about the best ways to keep wheelchair users safe while in transit are:

April 10, 2023

9 Ways to Help Your Autistic Grandchild Thrive

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

Becoming a grandparent is one of life’s most amazing experiences, and one many people look forward to with great anticipation.

Unlike parenting your own child, which tends to come with a healthy serving of self doubt, a mountain of responsibility, and the grind of the daily routine, grandparenting is usually a time of indulgence (for both the grandchild and the grandparent), harmless rule breaking, and general fun.

But what happens when your journey into grandparenthood includes an unexpected element in the form of an autism diagnosis?

March 28, 2023

Making Sensory Inclusion More of a Mainstream Movement

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

If you have never experienced it yourself, it can be difficult to understand what it’s like to feel deep anxiety and even physical pain as the result of being exposed to sensory stimuli like sounds, scents, lights, and crowds.

For people with sensory sensitivity, the intensity of these experiences ranges on a scale from mere inconvenience to completely incapacitating.

This issue is not nearly as rare as most people assume. In fact, 1 in 6 people living in the United States have either a sensory need or an invisible disability that makes them more prone to sensory needs. This group includes people with PTSD, autism, and dementia, as well as people who have had strokes.

March 1, 2023

The Importance of Legal Planning for Children with Brain Injuries

by Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and according to the Brain Injury Alliance, there are currently over 5 million Americans living with brain injuries, a number that increases by about 5,000 injuries per day.

So for us, it’s a perfect time to raise awareness of the impact that brain injuries can have on individuals and families.

An acquired brain injury (ABI) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) can drastically change the lives of not only the individual with the injury, but also their loved ones. And when the person with the injury is a minor child, the whole family faces unexpected challenges and uncertainty.