Disbursements

• How Can Disbursement Funds be Used to Help?
• Requesting Disbursement Funds

Disbursement refers to money that is withdrawn from a trust account to meet the needs of the individual with a developmental disability that the account was established for.

How Can Disbursement Funds be Used to Help?

Financial consultants often advise people to invest for both long and short-term goals. The Life Opportunities Trust makes this easy to accomplish. The Trust allows for families and individuals to save funds for use decades from now, as well as providing access to money in the near future to pay for many supplemental services and supports, which may be used to improve an individual’s quality of life.

Some uses may include:

• Education, information and training opportunities
• Living Arrangements, including personal assistance services, skill building, financial management, medical monitoring, meal preparation, shopping, home maintenance and house cleaning
• Unusual or extraordinary disability-related shelter expenses
• Capital expenses, including environmental modifications and transportation
• Respite care
• Disability-related support groups
• Utility and transportation costs
• Vacation, travel and recreation
• Employment supports and tuition
• Advocacy and legal services
• Social productivity and personal fulfillment activities, such as volunteering club membership and recreation
• Assistive technology, including computers and electronic equipment
• Specialized clothing or clothing not covered by public benefits
• Medical care, counseling, therapies and other health related services, including alternative practitioners, not covered by public benefits
• Birthday and holiday presents for the beneficiary to give to others
• Individual trust account expenses, including enrollment, bookkeeping, tax return preparation and filing, tax payments, annual management expenses and other trust related fees
• Items the Trust Manager deems appropriate and reasonable within the guidelines of the Governing Board.

Requesting Disbursement Funds

1. Disbursement requests will only be accepted from the Primary Representative and Alternate Primary Representatives designated in the Joinder Agreement.

2. Disbursements need to be requested two (2) weeks in advance.  (In emergency circumstances this time may be shortened on request.)

3. Disbursement requests will only be accepted in writing, and only on the designated form. Please include a copy of any billings, invoices or other appropriate documentation supporting the intended expenditure.

4. All checks will be made out to the designated vendor(s). Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis.  Receipts are due to the Endowment Trust Fund within one (1) week of the disbursement.

5. In cases where there are questions regarding the appropriateness of the request, or other information is needed, the Primary Representative may call the Washington State Developmental Disabilities Endowment Trust Fund Manager (see below) and discuss the issues prior to the form being submitted.

6. Checks will be mailed to the Vendor or, if requested, to the Primary Representative who initiated the request.

7. It is the responsibility of the Endowment Trust Fund to keep accurate records of disbursements.

To request additional forms or to discuss disbursement requests, please contact the Trust Fund Manager: