A reliable, consistent trustee, helping beneficiaries thrive over time. When serving as trustee of a Special Needs Trust, Cumberland Trust can ensure a team of caring professionals is available to align trust use with the critical day-to-day needs of beneficiaries with disabilities.
70M
have a disability.
26%
have a member with a disability.
50%
will outlive both parents, absent a chronic or acute medical condition.
Cumberland Trust serves as a long-term partner to beneficiaries with disabilities and their families, bringing stability, empathy, and specialized knowledge to every relationship.
Our directed trust model integrates seamlessly with clients’ existing advisory teams. Working alongside clients’ chosen teams of financial, legal, and tax advisors, we provide experienced Special Needs Trust administration, compassionate hands-on service, and tailored support.
Our team understands the complexities of public benefits like Medicaid and Social Security and the risks of disrupting eligibility. We prioritize the beneficiary’s well-being and provide confidence that sensitive issues will be handled with both professionalism and care.
We maintain fewer client relationships per trust officer than many larger institutions. This gives our professionals time to truly understand each beneficiary’s situation, answer questions thoroughly, and build the kind of relationship clients need. Beneficiaries have a reliable resource for questions, updates, and support.
When clients need distribution decisions or strategic support, we provide thoughtful solutions with care and efficiency, offering flexibility and attentiveness for time-sensitive needs.
As a corporate entity, we offer longevity and stability for lasting trust relationships. With more than 25 years of operations and executives averaging 30+ years in the trust industry, we deliver the continuity that supports beneficiaries through life’s stages.
Special Needs Trusts (SNTs) are designed to protect benefit eligibility while enhancing quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Cumberland Trust administers each trust diligently and carefully.
SNTs cover expenses beyond basic needs like food and housing, supporting independence through education, therapies, travel, and more.
Our Special Needs Trust administration team understands the importance of each distribution request, as improper distributions can impact benefits.
We work closely with families, attorneys, and advisors to align use of Special Needs Trust assets with the beneficiary’s goals and evolving needs.
At Cumberland Trust, we focus exclusively on trust administration, providing clients and their advisors with reliable, long-term support and peace of mind.
Special Needs Trusts can be powerful tools to protect both public benefits and family legacy. Here’s a simple overview of the types of SNTs:
First-Party SNT
Third-Party SNT
Source of Funds
The beneficiary’s own assets (e.g., personal injury settlement, direct inheritance, accumulated savings).
Assets belonging to someone other than the beneficiary (e.g., parents, grandparents, other family members, or friends).
Purpose
To protect a disabled individual’s assets so they can qualify for or maintain eligibility for means-tested government benefits (like SSI and Medicaid).
Typically part of an estate plan to provide supplemental support for a loved one with a disability without jeopardizing their benefits.
Established By
The beneficiary (if legally competent), a parent, grandparent, legal guardian, or a court.
Anyone except the beneficiary.
Beneficiary Age Limit
The beneficiary must be under 65 years old when the trust is established.
No age limitations for the beneficiary when the trust is established.
Revocability
Generally irrevocable.
Can be revocable or irrevocable, depending on the terms set by the grantor.
Medicaid Payback
Mandatory. Upon the beneficiary’s death, any remaining funds must first reimburse the state Medicaid program for services rendered during their lifetime.
Not required. Remaining funds can pass to other beneficiaries named in the trust document, as the assets never belonged to the beneficiary.
The beneficiary’s own assets (e.g., personal injury settlement, direct inheritance, accumulated savings).
Assets belonging to someone other than the beneficiary (e.g., parents, grandparents, other family members, or friends).
To protect a disabled individual’s assets so they can qualify for or maintain eligibility for means-tested government benefits (like SSI and Medicaid).
Typically part of an estate plan to provide supplemental support for a loved one with a disability without jeopardizing their benefits.
The beneficiary (if legally competent), a parent, grandparent, legal guardian, or a court.
Anyone except the beneficiary.
The beneficiary must be under 65 years old when the trust is established.
No age limitations for the beneficiary when the trust is established.
Generally irrevocable.
Can be revocable or irrevocable, depending on the terms set by the grantor.
Mandatory. Upon the beneficiary’s death, any remaining funds must first reimburse the state Medicaid program for services rendered during their lifetime.
Not required. Remaining funds can pass to other beneficiaries named in the trust document, as the assets never belonged to the beneficiary.
As an independent trustee, we administer trusts according to their terms and governing law. We work with beneficiaries fairly and impartially with neutrality, consistency, and care.
As co-trustee, we serve alongside a family member or other individual. This setup is ideal for clients who want the personal involvement of a family member or individual with the objectivity and technical expertise of a corporate trustee experienced in Special Needs Trust (SNT) administration.
As an estate executor or postmortem trustee, we ensure assets are collected and properly administered, obligations are satisfied, and property is distributed to or for the beneficiary(ies). This role eases the burden while ensuring estate plans are carried out.
As an agent-to-trustee or an executor, Cumberland Trust can provide technical support for duties such as fiduciary accounting, maintaining records, fulfilling distributions, and facilitating tax reporting, providing important assistance in the administration of supplemental needs trusts and other trust structures.
We are headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, with an additional 10 offices throughout the country. Our experienced team of 140+ professionals works with clients and their advisors nationwide.
SUCCESS STORY
Planning for the future of family members with special needs is a deeply personal and often overwhelming responsibility. Learn how one sibling shared the fiduciary responsibility with Cumberland Trust in order to focus on their role as loving family member.
We’re here to help clients protect benefits, honor intent, and support beneficiaries for the road ahead. Contact us to learn how we can serve beneficiaries with consideration and care through reliable Special Needs Trust administration.
Yes. Cumberland Trust provides Special Needs Trust administration for both first-party Special Needs Trusts and third-party Special Needs Trusts. Our team administers these trusts according to the terms of each trust document, supporting beneficiaries and advisors through the unique requirements associated with each trust type.
Yes. Cumberland Trust operates on a directed trust platform designed for collaboration. We can be directed by clients to work with existing care providers, financial advisors, attorneys, and other professionals as part of a broader support network, ensuring administration aligns with a beneficiary’s care plans and long‑term goals.
Beneficiaries receive relationship‑based support from a dedicated trust officer backed by a broader team. With fewer client relationships per trust officer, Cumberland Trust provides attentive Special Needs Trust administration that adapts as needs change, including support through life transitions and coordination with a client’s chosen third-party care providers.
Professional Special Needs Trust administrators offer continuity, neutrality, and regulatory accountability that individual trustees may not be able to provide. A corporate fiduciary can help minimize family conflict, reduce administrative risk, and remain in place long term, supporting the beneficiary through life’s changes.
Communication is proactive and collaborative. Trust officers serve as a consistent point of contact, listening closely to beneficiaries and coordinating regularly with advisors and attorneys, as needed. This approach supports thoughtful Special Needs Trust administration without the use of call centers or an automated service.
