Public Benefits

First Focus, a bipartisan advocacy group, has recently published it's Children's Budget 2008, a guide to over 180 children's programs which are funded by the federal government.

When retirement looms, many military families with children with special needs face a decision about whether or not to choose the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) retirement option. Receipt of SBP payments could jeopardize the child's eligibility for SSI and Medicaid.

The U.S. House of Representatives, in what is seen as a victory for advocates of people with special needs, passed a bill that would put off implementation of several new Medicaid regulations until early 2009.

Individuals with special needs who file a federal income tax return, even if they are not required to do so, may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a special credit that has existed for the last 36 years to...

While creating a financial plan and establishing a specialized trust are central to preparing for your child's future, planners also advise families to write down their intentions and expectations in a special document.

An attorney who attended the Academy of Special Needs Planners' recent Annual Meeting in New Orleans reports on his post-Katrina view of the city and the volunteer effort to refurbish the headquarters of a local organization that assists special needs...

Parents of a child with special needs are often daunted by the different government programs that fall under the general definition of "disability benefits." To make matters worse, two of the most common benefit programs available also have very similar...

The special economic stimulus payments authorized by Congress in February will not affect the benefits of persons receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or other federal benefits.

A bill that would create IRA-like tax-exempt savings accounts for individuals with disabilities has bipartisan support in the Senate.