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A Pooled Trust Can Help You Navigate Benefits

Feb 04, 2026

The WNY Coalition Pooled Trust provides a professionally administered financial tool to deal with excess income.   It is a collaborative partnership between People Inc., the Center for Elder Law and Justice, and KeyBank. Currently, the Pooled Trust assists about 900 people with physical and developmental disabilities. 

This program is a great resource for those with developmental disabilities who receive a significant amount of cash at one time because of a retroactive benefit payment, a settlement, or an inheritance as that influx of money can interrupt critical government benefits such as SSI and Medicaid. 

Trusts are not like bank accounts and the funds may only be used by the person with a disability on specific items set by law – generally those things that “supplement” and not supplant goods and services received through government benefit programs. Deposits, once made, are irrevocable.

Three Types of Trusts

Supplemental Needs Trust

A trust for people under 65 with disabling conditions may be able to deposit income or assets into  a supplemental needs trust (SNT). 

Pooled Supplemental Needs Trust

A trust for people over 65 with disabling conditions may be able to deposit income or assets into a supplemental needs trust (SNT). Deposits, once made, are irrevocable. People over the age of 65 can only use a Pooled Supplemental Needs Trust (like the WNY Coalition Pooled Trust). 

Friends and Family Trust

A Friends & Family Trust for families with children with disabilities of any age. This trust is funded by assets from someone other than the beneficiary. The grantor can set up this trust during his or her lifetime, or by will.