10/28/2026
What if “spend down” isn’t the best answer?
For years, consumer funds management in the I/DD community has often focused on one primary objective: protecting eligibility for critical benefits such as Medicaid and SSI.
Understandably so.
But when an individual receives an inheritance, settlement, family gift, retroactive payment, or has excess income, the traditional response is often to spend down those resources.
That may protect eligibility—but it can also mean spending away resources that could help someone prepare for their future.
So perhaps we should ask a different question:
What if consumer funds management were about more than protecting benefits?
Everyone deserves the opportunity to save for something they need.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to save for something they
want.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to plan for a future that is meaningful to them.
That means consumer funds management can—and should—have a person-centered approach.
For providers, this creates an important opportunity to rethink how financial resources are managed and how success is measured.
Is the goal simply to eliminate excess resources?
Or can we use those resources to create greater choice, independence, opportunity, and quality of life?
We believe it is time to look beyond spend down.
Part 1 of our new series explores why consumer funds management deserves a fresh perspective. Read Here - https://bit.ly/4iI7syi
