The recent wildfires across Los Angeles were a harsh reminder of the importance of proactive emergency planning – especially for individuals with disabilities. These disasters underscore how natural events, from wildfires to hurricanes and winter storms, can disrupt daily routines and prevent access to essential services, financial resources, and medical care. It’s hard for anyone to adapt to these situations, but for beneficiaries with disabilities, suspension of basic services can be life-threatening. 

Fiduciaries, trustees, and other professionals who serve individuals with disabilities play a critical role in helping their clients navigate these situations. And making an emergency plan before it is needed is an important first step in providing support. In this post we’ll share some things you might want to consider when building an emergency plan for your clients. 

Understanding the risks for clients with disabilities

Emergencies, whether natural disasters, pandemics, or personal crises, disproportionately affect individuals with disabilities due to barriers in mobility, communication, and access to essential services. Acquiring medical care or medications can become a daunting task when transportation is disrupted, healthcare facilities are overwhelmed, or power is out for extended periods of time. 

These situations can also bring about urgent housing and transportation needs. Evacuation centers may lack the necessary accommodations for mobility devices or specialized health requirements that some people rely on. We saw during the recent LA wildfires how several residents with mobility impairments faced dangerous delays in evacuation because accessible transportation was either unavailable or insufficient. 

Additionally, the interruption of income streams, benefits, or support services can quickly destabilize an individual’s financial footing. For many people with disabilities, consistent access to financial resources like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is essential for covering day-to-day expenses. When natural disasters strike, these income streams can be delayed due to office closures, disrupted mail services, or difficulties accessing online portals. 

Ultimately, the ability to anticipate and address these challenges can mean the difference between a temporary setback and a long-term crisis for individuals with disabilities.

Financial preparedness for navigating emergencies

Ensuring financial stability during tumultuous situations isn’t just about having money set aside, it’s about having the right systems in place. Here are three strategies that professionals may want to consider when reviewing or building their clients’ emergency plans.

1. Liquid emergency funds: When choosing an investment strategy, you may want to set aside some funds in vehicles that are easily accessible. This could mean holding a certain portion of the trust in savings accounts or investments like ETFs, which offer greater liquidity compared to some other vehicles like bonds or real estate holdings.
2. Pre-authorized disbursements: Fiduciaries could set up automatic payments for critical expenses such as housing, utilities, and caregiving services. This ensures continuity in these essentials without the need for manual intervention during stressful times.
3. Budgeting for crises: Crafting a specialized budget to account for emergency supplies, temporary relocation costs, or unexpected medical expenses may be a useful exercise for some client situations. Planning ahead can help beneficiaries weather financial shocks without jeopardizing their long-term stability.

Leveraging technology through unusual circumstances

In today’s digital world, technology can play an important role in maintaining financial security during crises. Tools like the True Link Visa® Prepaid Card can make it easy for cardholding-clients to access essential funds during emergencies without the need to leave their homes or learn new systems. Fiduciaries can load extra funds onto the Card or adjust settings that determine where spending is allowed from the True Link platform in real time to help address the individual’s most pressing needs. Here are some examples:

• If rideshare apps are typically a blocked spending category for a client, but they need to quickly get across town, you could unblock this category for a couple of hours before turning the block back on.
• If your client was forced to relocate suddenly and needs to purchase additional basic essentials or necessities for a couple weeks, you can schedule a one-time emergency transfer to help cover these costs.

Beyond financial tools, emergency communication apps like WhatsApp or Signal can help maintain lines of communication even at times when traditional networks are down (though not always). Even if this isn’t your regular form of communication with clients, you may want to set it up as a backup plan in advance. 

Preserving access to public benefits

Protecting access to benefits like SSI, SSDI, and Medicaid is important for individuals with disabilities, but the instability of emergency situations can make it harder for beneficiaries to follow guidelines for remaining eligible. Understanding the ways these programs adapt to crises and engage with other government programs can help prevent disruptions during and after an emergency.

Two examples of specialized rules that apply during crisis situations include: 

• Paying for temporary housing: The Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) Program Operations Manual System (POMS) provides guidance on temporary living arrangements and how beneficiary funds can be used for short-term housing without affecting SSI eligibility.
• Presidential Disaster assistance: When the President declares a major disaster, an individual may receive monetary assistance or donations from federal, state, local, or private organizations (like the Red Cross). As long as the criteria set forth in the POMS is met, the value of support and maintenance in cash or in-kind can be excluded from countable income.

Prior to an emergency, collecting and properly filing documentation can help streamline interactions with government agencies when they arise. Ideally, both you and your client would maintain digital and physical copies of important documentation such as medical records, proof of benefits eligibility, and personal identification. And in times when a client is navigating a crisis, fiduciaries can step in to help review benefits portals for updates and contact government agencies to ensure that changes in living arrangements or financial status don’t unintentionally disrupt a client’s benefits.

The risks of crowdfunding for clients with disabilities

While crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe can provide quick financial relief following natural disasters, medical emergencies, and other crises, they also come with hidden risks for individuals with disabilities. Funds raised through these platforms may be considered a resource or count as in-kind support and maintenance, potentially jeopardizing eligibility for programs like SSI and Medicaid.

One way to help protect benefits access in these situations is to use a Special Needs Trust (SNT). By directing crowdfunding proceeds into an SNT, families can reduce the risk of jeopardizing eligibility for public benefits. Fiduciaries and financial planners should proactively advise families on how to integrate trusts with crowdfunding efforts, so that emergency relief doesn’t create unintended financial complications.

Emergency Preparedness Beyond Finances

While financial security is critical, comprehensive emergency preparedness also includes health and safety planning. Ensuring access to medical records, prescriptions, and adaptive equipment is essential for individuals with disabilities, and having a plan for coordinating emergency transportation or evacuation plans can prevent dangerous delays, particularly for those with mobility challenges.

Housing contingencies should also be part of the planning process. Identifying backup housing options, such as ADA-compliant shelters or temporary accommodations with necessary modifications, can make a big difference during a crisis. Similarly, caregiver continuity may need to be addressed. Establishing relationships with substitute caregivers or backup direct care providers can help your client receive uninterrupted support, even when regular caregivers are unavailable.

Creating personalized emergency plans for your clients with disabilities can also be valuable. These plans should take into account the individual’s disability, geographical location, and available resources – in the forms of local connections, government agencies, and other support services that may be needed. As a part of this process, communication protocols should be clearly established, including backup contacts and designated crisis points of contact to ensure seamless coordination during emergencies.

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For individuals living with disabilities, proactive emergency planning isn’t just a precaution – it’s a necessity. Fiduciaries and trustees are uniquely positioned to help safeguard their clients’ financial and personal wellbeing during crises, ensuring that even in the most challenging times, essential resources remain within reach. 

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‍This article is not intended to provide investment, tax, or legal advice. Before making decisions involving investing, legal, tax or accounting concerns, you should consult appropriate professionals regarding your specific situation.

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