Leaving assets outright to a beneficiary on SSI or Medicaid will typically disqualify them. A properly-drafted SNT preserves eligibility while letting the trust pay for goods and services those programs don't cover.
Glossary · trusts
Special Needs Trust
Acronym: SNT
Also called: Supplemental Needs Trust
In plain English
A trust that lets a beneficiary with a disability benefit from assets without losing eligibility for means-tested public benefits (SSI, Medicaid).