Using a trust
Your Special Needs Trust
Using the money in your Special Needs Trust
Money from a special needs trust can be used for many things government benefits don’t cover. That’s one of the reasons why families or individuals set them up. Special needs trusts also come with rules about how they can and can’t be used.
But using your trust money is not just about what’s allowed or not. Making good choices about how to use money is also important.
Your Primary Representative contacts us to use trust money
Every special needs trust from The Arc of Northern Virginia names a primary representative. That’s the person who works with the beneficiary to help manage the trust money.
The primary representative (PR, for short) knows your budget and what you can afford. The PR also knows what kinds of things are right for you to buy or pay for. When you and the PR have agreed on something to buy, the PR starts the payment process.
Getting money from your special needs trust is called disbursement. The PR must fill out a disbursement form every time to request money from the trust.
Money from your special needs trust may be spent on these kinds of things:
- Clothing
- Cell phone/cable bill
- Furniture
- Electronics
- Sports & recreational activities (movies, clubs, subscriptions)
- Gym membership
- Vacations and travel costs
- Tuition & books
- Eye care (eye glasses, contacts)
- Dental care
- Hair care
- Respite care
- Taxes
- Legal fees
- Buying and maintaining a car, van, or truck
- Purchasing a house, apartment, or condo
- House cleaning services
- Plus many more.
Disbursements: Using Special Needs Trust Money
There are several ways to use money from a trust. Each of the topics listed is explained in detail below.
Pay a Provider Directly
The trust program prefers to pay providers directly. This helps minimize the impact on the beneficiary’s government benefits. The primary representative (PR) should:
- Fill out a disbursement request form.
- Print or scan the form.
- Attach or scan bill or invoice to go with the form.
- Send the form and paperwork to The Arc of Northern Virginia office:
–Email the form and receipts to kevin.collins@thearcofnova.org, or
–Fax the form and receipts to (703) 208-0906, or
–Mail or drop off the form and receipts. Our office is at 3060 Williams Drive, Suite 300, Fairfax, VA 22031
Staff at The Arc of Northern Virginia review the payment request. If anything is missing or not filled out right, the Account Manager will let you know.
Payment takes about two weeks.
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Pay first and get a refund
Your primary representative (PR) can buy something for you and get paid back from the trust. To do that, your PR should:
- Buy or pay for something for you.
- Save the receipt and any other paperwork needed to prove it was a valid expense.
- Fill out a disbursement request form.
- Print or scan the form.
- Attach or scan bill or invoice to go with the form.
- Send the form and paperwork to The Arc of Northern Virginia office:
–Email the form and receipts to kevin.collins@thearcofnova.org, or
–Fax the form and receipts to (703) 208-0906, or
–Mail or drop off the form and receipts. Our office is at 3060 Williams Drive, Suite 300, Fairfax, VA 22031
Staff at The Arc of Northern Virginia review the payment request. If anything is missing or not filled out right, the Account Manager will let you know.
Payment takes about two weeks.
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Ask for money in advance
The primary representative (PR) can request money to buy something for you in advance. To do so, your PR should:
- Plan to buy or pay for something for you.
- Fill out a disbursement request form.
- Print or scan the form.
- Attach or scan a Training Invoice or a description/link of something you want to buy.
- Send the form and paperwork to The Arc of Northern Virginia office:
–Email the form and receipts to kevin.collins@thearcofnova.org, or
–Fax the form and receipts to (703) 208-0906, or
–Mail or drop off the form and receipts. Our office is at 3060 Williams Drive, Suite 300, Fairfax, VA 22031
Staff at The Arc of Northern Virginia review the payment request. If anything is missing or not filled out right, the Account Manager will let you know.
Payment will take about two weeks.
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Set up recurring or periodic payments
Do you have a bill that you need to pay periodically? This can include a phone bill, a dental bill, or even car insurance. To do so, your PR should:
- Fill out a recurring disbursement request form. You just need to do this once.
- Print or scan the form.
- Attach or scan invoices/bills to go with the form.
- Contact your vendor to change the billing address to The Arc of Northern Virginia. Keep your name on the bill.
- Send the form and paperwork to The Arc of Northern Virginia office:
–Email the form and receipts to kevin.collins@thearcofnova.org, or
–Fax the form and receipts to (703) 208-0906, or
–Mail or drop off the form and receipts. Our office is at 3060 Williams Drive, Suite 300, Fairfax, VA 22031
Staff at The Arc of Northern Virginia review the payment request. If anything is missing or not filled out right, the Account Manager will let you know.
The process of setting up recurring payments may take about two weeks. Sometimes, changing the billing address may take 1 billing cycle.
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Get a reloadable card
The primary representative can request the trust team to order a reloadable card. This card is a prepaid card that allows the trust team to deposit money for you to use. There may be certain limitations on how you can use the card, for example, food and rent (if you have SSI).
Download the True Link card agreement
- The PR submits a disbursement request form. The payee should be “TrueLink Card”.
- The PR contacts the Account Manager to order the card.
- We may ask for a Trust Plan or a budget to be completed if they are not already.
- The Account Manager and the PR will agree on a specific amount to be loaded onto the card.
- The Account Manager orders the card (this may take a few weeks).
- The Account Manager activates the card and mails it to the PR.
- The PR can take the Beneficiary shopping for agreed upon items in the budget.
- The PR must send receipts at the end of the month or after the purchase.
- After the Account Manager reviews the receipts, the TrueLink card may then be reloaded for next time.
If anything is missing or not filled out right, the Account Manager will let you know.
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Use our credit card
A credit card is handy for buying things online, making travel reservations, and taking care of emergency needs.
Here’s how it works. The primary representative (PR) should:
- Research the purchase to get information and total cost.
- Fill out a disbursement request form. The payee is “Foundation of the Arc of Northern Virginia.” The payee address is “3060 Williams Drive, Suite 300, Fairfax, VA 22031”
- Print or scan the form and attach invoices, estimates, or other paperwork showing information/cost.
- Send the form and paperwork to The Arc of Northern Virginia office:
–Email the form and receipts to kevin.collins@thearcofnova.org, or
–Fax the form and receipts to (703) 208-0906, or
–Mail or drop off the form and receipts. Our office is at 3060 Williams Drive, Suite 300, Fairfax, VA 22031 - Staff at The Arc of Northern Virginia review the payment request. If anything is missing or not filled out right, the Account Manager will let you know.
- The Trust Department will wait till the request is approved and the check is written.
- When the Trust Department gets the check, the Account Manager will make the credit card purchase for you.
The process of requesting and making the credit card payment takes about two weeks.
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Buy a vehicle
Buying a car may require additional information and communication with the Trust Department. If you are thinking of using your trust to buy a car, please contact the Trust Department as soon as possible.
The PR must send the Account Manager information about the car. We may ask for driving history. Once the car is pre-approved, the Account Manager will work with you, the seller, and Key Bank, to buy the car.
Download the car-purchase guide
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Buy a home
Buying a home can be very complicated. So it is important to talk with our Trust Department through every step. If you are considering using your trust to buy a home, condo, or apartment to live in, please contact the Trust Department as soon as possible.
The PR must send the Account Manager information about the home. Once the home is pre-approved, the Account Manager will work with you, your agent, and Key Bank. Key Bank has a very knowledgeable and helpful team to help you find the best home for your needs.
Download the Key Bank Real Estate Flyer
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Pay for a vacation
Someone with a special needs trust can go on vacation using money from their trust.
Vacations always take planning. Vacations involving a special needs trust can require even more planning.
The primary representative (PR) will follow the normal process for payment requests. Planning ahead can pay off. The PR can request money in advance to pay for airfare and hotels. Other expenses, like gasoline, food and drinks, only happen during the trip. It’s important to keep all receipts so the expenses can be paid back.
Booking travel usually requires a credit card. If needed, The Arc of Northern Virginia can use its credit card to book travel for a beneficiary. Please check the credit card section for more information.
A Travel Companion’s Expenses may be Covered
Trust money can only be used for things for the trust beneficiary. But if the beneficiary cannot travel alone, a travel companion’s expenses may also be paid. The PR must get a letter proving proof the beneficiary cannot travel alone. A medical doctor, nurse practitioner, clinical social worker, physical therapist or other health professional may write the letter.
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