Navigating Federal and State Benefits with Special Needs Trusts and How to Maximize Services

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Navigating Federal and State Benefits with Special Needs Trusts and How to Maximize Services

Program Originally Presented Friday, November 14, 2025

Families navigating disability planning face complex challenges involving benefits, financial supports, and long-term care needs. In this program, Michele Leahy, founder and CEO of Leahy Life Plan, will draw from both her professional expertise and personal experience to provide attorneys with practical strategies for advising clients who have dependents with disabilities.

This CLE will explore how to integrate federal and state benefits, including SSI, SSDI, Medicare, and Medicaid, into a comprehensive life plan while avoiding common pitfalls such as holding funds in the individual’s name.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Maximize Supports While Working: Understand how programs like MAWD and MAWD for Workers with Job Success can support employment goals without jeopardizing benefits.
• Navigate Waiver Systems: Break down eligibility, applications, and services under Pennsylvania’s Home and Community Based Services waivers, with strategies to maintain long-term eligibility.
• Plan for Transitions: Address the complexities of moving from SSI to SSDI, including DAC benefits, while preserving Medicaid and waiver supports.
• Use Special Needs Trusts Proactively: Explore how trusts can be used before a parent’s death to create stable housing, supports, and budgets, rather than relying solely on life insurance.
• Address Asset Transfers and Tax Implications: Gain insight into how different assets (e.g., life insurance vs. 401(k)) impact trusts, benefits, and taxation, as well as the implications for “fair versus equal” inheritance planning.

This CLE is essential for attorneys advising families on special needs trusts, disability benefits, and long-term planning.

  
Featured Speaker:
Michele Leahy, M.S.
Founder & CEO
Leahy Life Plan

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