Special Needs Trust Disbursements After the SSI Overhaul: Paying Shelter and Food Without Reducing the Check

Meredith H. Greene, Partner | Day Pitney LLP

Meredith Greene is a partner in Day Pitney’s Boston office and coleader of the firm’s Special Needs Planning practice. She advises individuals and families on special needs planning, government benefits advocacy, guardianship, conservatorship, adult services advocacy, and estate planning, and she serves as a professional trustee on special needs trusts. Her recent client publications include “ABLE Accounts in 2026: Who Qualifies, What’s Changed, and Why It Matters” and “Recent Changes to SSI Housing Rules Make it Easier to Qualify for Full Federal Benefits.”

• Education & Credentials

Meredith earned her J.D., cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School and her B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross. She is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

• Recognition & Leadership

Meredith is co-leader of Day Pitney’s Special Needs Planning practice. Her 2021 arrival as a Boston partner drew coverage in Law360, the Connecticut Law Tribune, and Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, including the Law360 Pulse profile “For Day Pitney Partner, Special Needs Law Is More Than A Job.”

• Professional Involvement

Meredith is a member of the Special Needs Alliance, the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Massachusetts Guardianship Association, Parent Attorney and Advocates, and the Special Needs Advocacy Network. She was trained as a parent advocate through the Federation of Children with Special Needs, representing children and families in special education matters. Her community roles include the boards of directors of Minute Man Arc and the Williams Syndrome Association, parent-mentor with the Minute Man Early Intervention Program, Operation House Call with The Arc of Massachusetts, and former chair and board positions with the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce.

• Experience

Meredith develops first-party and third-party supplemental needs trusts, irrevocable trusts, marital deduction trusts, wills, health care proxies, HIPAA release authorizations, durable powers of attorney, and appointments of advocate, and she performs trust reviews. She represents clients in Social Security Administration appeals and advocates for clients with the Department of Developmental Services and disability service providers. Her publications include “Planning for the Future With Special Needs Trusts” in the December 2025 Estate Planning Update, and her speaking engagements include “Special Needs Trusts & ABLE Accounts” for Amego, Inc. and “Financial Issues and Planning for the Future” for the Profound Autism Alliance. She speaks often on special needs planning, guardianship and alternatives/supported decision making, and government benefits for individuals with special needs, represents families in guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, and has been appointed and served as guardian ad litem in probate court matters.

Michelle M. Mulvena, Principal | Mulvena Winston, PC

Michelle M. Mulvena, Esq. is the principal at Mulvena Winston, PC in Stoneham, where she has developed a thriving fiduciary services practice serving as trustee, conservator, and personal representative. Practicing law for over 20 years, she works primarily in estate planning, Medicaid and disability planning, guardianships/conservatorships, and probate and trust administration, helping families, seniors, and disabled individuals retain their independence and dignity through proper planning.

• Education & Credentials

Michelle graduated from New England Law in Boston in 2001.

• Recognition & Leadership

Michelle is a contributor to the Elder Law Guide published annually by the Massachusetts Bar Association and frequently lectures on estate planning, estate and trust administration, and disability and Medicaid planning.

• Professional Involvement

Michelle is a member of several organizations and boards, including the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Massachusetts Guardianship Association, and SCM Transportation in Somerville.

• Experience

Through her fiduciary services practice, Michelle serves as trustee, conservator, and personal representative. Her practice centers on Medicaid and disability planning, probate and trust administration, guardianships/conservatorships, and estate planning, and her lecture topics run to the same ground: disability and Medicaid planning and estate and trust administration.

SESSION 1 – Trustee Disbursement Decisions After the SSI In-kind Support Overhaul | 2:30pm – 3:30pm

This session explains the recent major SSI policy changes that took effect in 2024, including the overhaul of in-kind support and maintenance (ISM) rules, with a focus on how trustees of special needs trusts must now approach food and shelter disbursements. Attendees will learn how the new ISM framework treats food and shelter, how the national PMV standard reshapes rent payment strategies, which housing related expenses still reduce SSI. Attendees will leave able to advise trustees on structuring disbursements to preserve SSI and Medicaid benefits.

BREAK | 3:30pm – 3:40pm

SESSION 2 – Use of ABLE Accounts to Protect SSI After 2026 Expansion | 3:40pm – 4:40pm

This session explores how special needs trusts and ABLE accounts work together under the recent SSI policy changes, including the 2024 overhaul of in-kind support and maintenance rules and the 2026 expansion of ABLE eligibility. Participants will learn the core contribution rules, how ABLE accounts can be used to manage shelter and other sensitive expenses without triggering SSI reductions, and how trusts and ABLE accounts can be structured to balance long term asset protection with flexible daily spending. The program also reviews Medicaid payback considerations and when robust ABLE funding is appropriate. Attendees will leave prepared to review existing plans, identify beneficiaries who now qualify for ABLE accounts, and design coordinated strategies that preserve SSI benefits while expanding practical support.