How We Help

Any Texas resident under the age of 65 who meets the Social Security Administration’s definition of a person with a disability can benefit from the Master Pooled Trust and designed so that all individuals with disabilities and their families can benefit.

The Master Pooled Trust …

• Serves any Texas resident who meets the definition of a person with a disability under the Social Security Act.
• Provides for the needs of people who have disabilities while allowing them to remain eligible for government benefits, such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income.
• Offers an affordable alternative to traditional bank trusts.
• Has low enrollment costs.
• Has low minimum and no maximum funding requirements.
• Has low annual consultation fees for funded accounts and no annual fees for non-funded accounts.
• Is managed by The Arc of Texas, a nonprofit organization with more than 60 years of experience in serving people with disabilities.
• Has simple and prompt disbursement procedures, with excellent customer service satisfaction ratings.
• Can be funded with the person’s own money or with money from a friend or family member
• Provides professionally managed investments.

An Ongoing Source of Income

Master Pooled Trust provides an ongoing source of income for beneficiary’s supplemental needs. “Supplemental needs” related to the Master Pooled Trust refer to anything other than food, housing and basic medical care. Government benefits, including Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid, will only pay for a person’s primary living needs, such as food, housing, and basic medical care. The Master Pooled Trust is designed to provide another source of funds that can be used to pay for supplemental needs including but not limited to travel, entertainment, education, eyeglasses, insurance premiums, diapers, and other nonessential medical supplies and services.

Protects the Beneficiary’s Government Benefits

If a person with a disability receives even a modest amount of money, exceeding $2,000, from an inheritance, a gift, a court settlement, or even from savings account established on his or her behalf, he or she may no longer be eligible for government benefits. However, if the funds are placed in a Master Pooled Trust account, government benefits will not be at risk.

Flexibility to Fit Your Needs

Master Pooled Trust allows the beneficiary and their family to determine how the trust funds will be distributed. The Arc of Texas’ responsibility in approving requests is to ensure that funds will not be exhausted in a way that could jeopardize the beneficiary’s eligibility for government benefits.

Even if the funder intends to fund the beneficiary’s trust through a will or life insurance policy, the funder will have an opportunity to outline how they wish the funds to be distributed upon enrollment and completion of the legally binding Joinder Agreement.

The Arc of Texas will review and update the beneficiary’s file annually to reflect current government regulations and the family’s wishes.