To ensure the health and safety of those we serve and our community, The Arc of Texas staff is working remotely. We are still available by email and phone at 1-800-252-9729 or 512-454-6694.
Our goal is that you experience as little disruption as possible, but please allow additional time to process any disbursement requests or new enrollments.
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
- Requires low minimum and no maximum funding requirements
- Has low annual consultation fees for funded accounts; no annual fees for non-funded accounts
- Is managed by The Arc of Texas, a nonprofit organization with over 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
- Investments are professionally managed by our Trustee
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. It is designed so that all individuals with disabilities and their families can benefit from the Master Pooled Trust.
Key Features of The Master Pooled Trust
For these purposes supplemental needs 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 (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.
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.
The Arc of Texas is the manager of the Master Pooled Trust. As the trust manager, The Arc of Texas is responsible for following current SSI & Medicaid regulations. The agency also ensures that trust disbursements will not create income that could cause the beneficiary to lose his or her government benefits.
The Arc of Texas offers trust beneficiaries and their families free information and referral services, training opportunities, special education consultation, legislative information, and more.
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.
Unlike a traditional bank trust, which often requires you to invest a minimum of $500,000, you can open a Master Pooled Trust account with small amounts of money. We have trusts ranging from as low as $500 to more than $2 million.
The Enrollment and Annual Consultation Fees for the Master Pooled Trust are lower than those of many bank trusts. There are no annual fees for accounts which are not yet funded.
*In order to be eligible for the Master Pooled Trust, the person must meet the Social Security Administration's definition of a person who has a disability.