CORT Public Benefits Training

The training will include the following presentations:

1. Work Requirements in Means-Tested Benefits
A look at how programs like Medicaid and SNAP use work requirements—where they came from federally, how states apply them, and what advocates can do when these rules impact clients. We’ll talk about past approaches, current challenges, and what may be coming next.

2. Algorithms, AI, and Information Sharing in Public Benefits
Benefit programs and other government systems are relying more on data-sharing, algorithms, and AI to make decisions—from detecting fraud to enforcing immigration rules. This session will cover how these tools are changing the landscape, what problems they create for clients, and how advocates can push back when the human element gets left out.

4. Social Security Overpayments
An overview of how Social Security overpayments are identified, assessed, and challenged. We’ll talk about contesting and, in some cases, getting them waived, with a focus on practical strategies to help clients.

5. Benefit Preservation, Special Needs Trusts and Estate Planning
This session focuses on planning for people with special needs and beneficiaries on means-tested benefits. We’ll cover creating special needs trusts, preserving benefits, and dealing with estate recovery, income, assets, and exemptions.