New rules allow benefits agencies to inquire more often about assets and income. Responding quickly is essential.
H.R. 1, officially known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, was signed into law on July 1, 2025. This law enacted wide-ranging changes to family and business economics, including cutting trillions of dollars of funding for disability benefits and imposing more frequent eligibility determinations along with mandatory work and community engagement requirements.
This posture toward disability benefits also includes rule and regulation changes for agencies administering benefits programs. As a result, beneficiaries are hearing from agencies more often as agencies follow these new rules
What this Means to Beneficiaries
The impact of this increased scrutiny is showing up now as letters and other communications from the agencies during or outside of the renewal or recertification process. Here’s what’s changed, along with some best practices for responding.
Beginning in 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) which administers Medicaid, and the Social Security Administration (SSA), made or modified a number of rules relating to means testing (assets and income). These rules require increased scrutiny by these agencies of beneficiaries’ financial accounts and other personal records. Beneficiaries must agree to these searches when they complete the application process.
We recommend responding immediately to any agency inquiries and communications. Turnaround times are tight and no action can result in an error or change becoming permanent. If an agency is asking about your special needs trust, let your Trustee and/or Trust Administrator know immediately. This is also a good time to review your bank and other financial accounts to be sure the balances align with the asset and income limits for your benefits.
While the mid-term elections offer hope for movement away from these policies and rules, there is no timeline today for specific next steps. In the meantime, please open agency emails and envelopes, take the phone calls, and reach out to us if we can be of assistance.