Joint Ownership of Home and Public Aid?

Question

My parents are senior citizens. They don't have income and would like to apply for public aid such as food stamps and medicaid. I would like to buy a condo for them to live in and both my and my parents' names will be on the deed. I would like to know the following:

1. Are they still eligible for all the public aid programs?

2. When they passed away, will their interest of the home be claimed towards the aid they used? If so, is there a way to avoid this?

Thank you.

TK · Accepted Answer

I'm pretty sure that your parents' eligibility for food stamps will not be affected by having an ownership interest in a condominium or house. I don't believe that those are countable assets for the purposes of the S.N.A.P. program.

But with respect to Medicaid, you will be opening up a real can of worms if you give your parents an ownership interest in a condominium or house. Medicaid would certainly record a medical assistance lien against your parents' ownership interest during their lifetimes, and they could file a claim against their estates as well for any deficiency.

You really would want to speak to an estate/Medicaid planning expert before giving your parents any ownership interest in a condo or house. I really can't understand why you would even contemplate that possibility.

You should speak to a competent attorney who does a lot of estate/Medicaid planning.

Good luck.

CarbonDated · Answer

Yes, they are eligible. Your home and 1 vehicle are not used against you in determining eligibility.   As far as the interest in the home, I HIGHLY recommend that you have a visit with a lawyer. What someone might say on here may not be what happens in your state.

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Joint Ownership of Home and Public Aid?

2 Answers