­Emergency first responders often possess little more than the information contained in a 911 call and a street address. While this might suffice for most situations, when the emergency involves a resident with special needs, customary rescue operations can be traumatic for the resident and challenging for emergency personnel. To solve this problem, city officials…

By Arshi Pal, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP In April 2018, H.R. 4547 was enacted to strengthen the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) oversight into the Representative Payee Program and protect Social Security beneficiaries. What is a Representative Payee? Representative payees can be either individuals or organizations who receive Social Security (SS) benefits for individuals who cannot…

By Amy C. O’Hara, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP President Trump signed tax reform legislation, Public Law 115-97, generally referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, into law on December 22, 2017. The Act is the most sweeping tax legislation to be enacted in decades.  It is broad in scope, complicated, and will impact…

By Marion M. Walsh, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP All of us at Littman Krooks wish you a holiday season filled with joy, happiness and success.   We know how difficult this season can be for those with disabilities or illnesses who are alone, sad or isolated and for their caregivers.   During this time of year, especially,…

In our earlier blog post, ABLE Accounts: What You Need to Know, we discussed what an ABLE Account is, who can contribute and some of the many benefits it can provide. Starting in the 2018 tax year, the Internal Revenue Service has increased the total annual contribution per ABLE Account from $14,000 to $15,000. By…

By Marion M. Walsh, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP Since 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has provided strong protections to people with disabilities, vastly improving the accessibility of buildings. Stores, restaurants and other businesses built ramps and made other accessibility changes because the law required the changes and the owners knew that courts would…

By Ryan J. Byrnes, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP The purpose of the ABLE program is to assist individuals with disabilities with saving funds in accounts to better enhance their quality of life. The program is intended to supplement, not supplant, government entitlements, such as Medicaid and SSI. Distributions from the account can be used to…

By Arshi Pal, Esq., & Stacy M. Sadove, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP Important Update! On August 21, 2017, Governor Cuomo signed Assembly Bill A6743, amending Social Services Law §366.  The signed legislation only adds the word “Individual” into the statute, and the changed wording will have significant implications for many individuals with disabilities. The revised…

By Stacy Sadove, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits are generally available to adults only when they cannot participate in a substantial gainful employment due to a disability. Sometimes beneficiaries want to try returning to work, but are concerned about losing their benefits. One option to…

Beginning January 1, 2018, private employees in New York State will be covered by the state’s paid family leave program. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the family leave bill into law in 2016, along with a $15 minimum wage bill. The governor’s office described the legislation as the nation’s most comprehensive and strongest paid family leave…