Question: It’s almost Thanksgiving. I am having the entire family, 11 people, to my house for the holiday. I’d like to use my trust to pay for the Thanksgiving meal and buy some presents for my family. What do I need to do to be able to use my trust money for this purpose?
Answer: Special needs trusts are designed to help and assist only the beneficiary – that’s the person living with a physical, mental, or intellectual disability. By law, the trust money cannot be used to purchase food or gifts for others. If you have a qualified expense, such an a cable bill, the trust can pay for it, thus freeing your personal money for you to make the purchases you want.
Darlene A. Kemp, MPH, MBA-HCM, Executive Director – Vista Points Special Needs Trusts, www.vistapoints.org – 888-422-4076
