Although an inheritance won't affect your Medicare benefits, it could raise your premiums in the short-term. Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people aged 65 or older, some younger people with disabilities, or people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
Medicaid has strict income and resource limits, so an inheritance can cause a Medicaid recipient to be ineligible for benefits. At the present time a single individual is limited to $2000.00 in countable assets and all income is payable to the nursing home.
An inheritance doesn't affect Social Security benefits. You can be a millionaire and get Social Security. But SSI is a low-income program, basically the federal welfare program. You have to be below certain limits of income and financial resources to qualify.
If you received a gift or inheritance, do not include it in your income. However, if the gift or inheritance later produces income, you will need to pay tax on that income. Example: You inherit and deposit cash that earns interest income. Include only the interest earned in your gross income, not the inherited cash.
Inheritance checks are generally not reported to the IRS unless they involve cash or cash equivalents exceeding $10,000. Banks and financial institutions are required to report such transactions using Form 8300. Most inheritances are paid by regular check, wire transfer, or other means that don't qualify for reporting.
Therefore, inheritances do not impact eligibility, and no reporting requirements exist for inheritances or assets received. Before assuming an inheritance will forfeit your benefits, check which program you receive—SSI or SSDI.
This is done by the person dealing with the estate (called the 'executor', if there's a will). Your beneficiaries (the people who inherit your estate) do not normally pay tax on things they inherit. They may have related taxes to pay, for example if they get rental income from a house left to them in a will.
However, receiving an inheritance won't affect Social Security and SSDI benefits. SSI is a federal program that pays benefits to U.S. citizens who are over age 65, blind or disabled and who have limited income and resources.
As an initial matter, you are correct that your inheritance may affect your eligibility for SSI/SSDI and/or Medi- Cal/Medicare. As a recipient of government benefits, you may not have more than $2,000 in assets before your eligibility for government benefits will be affected.
Medicare eligibility is based on age, illness and/or disability status rather than income. Inheriting money or receiving any other windfall, such as a lottery payout, does not bar you in any way from receiving Medicare benefits.
Other states, such as California and Texas, prohibit Estate Recovery after the surviving spouse dies. The only exception is if the surviving spouse was also a Medicaid recipient.
If you are a Medicaid recipient and receive an inheritance, you are required to report it to your state Medicaid agency.
Special needs trusts help you to manage inheritance money so it won't count toward income-based benefits like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The money in special needs trusts must pay for expenses your government benefits don't cover.
The short answer is no, but receiving a financial windfall could affect what you pay for coverage. Receiving an inheritance can have other affects on your personal finances, so it may be a good idea to speak with a financial advisor.
Immediately after receiving an inheritance, you should notify your local Social Security office. If your inheritance exceeds $963, you'll be ineligible for benefits for at least one month. You'll remain ineligible as long as your resources are more than $2,000.
Disadvantages of Inheritance
Inherited functions work slower than normal function as there is indirection. Improper use of inheritance may lead to wrong solutions. Often, data members in the base class are left unused which may lead to memory wastage.
In general, any inheritance you receive does not need to be reported to the IRS. You typically don't need to report inheritance money to the IRS because inheritances aren't considered taxable income by the federal government. That said, earnings made off of the inheritance may need to be reported.
Another key difference: While there is no federal inheritance tax, there is a federal estate tax. The federal estate tax generally applies to assets over $13.61 million in 2024 and $13.99 million in 2025, and the federal estate tax rate ranges from 18% to 40%.
If you receive income from an inheritance, providing documentation such as a will or a letter from the estate executor can prove your financial resources. This documentation should outline the amount inherited and any distribution schedule, giving landlords a clear understanding of your long-term financial stability.
Recent court case clarifies how an inheritance affects mean tested benefits. In previous blogs we explained that receiving an inheritance can compromise the recipient's means-tested benefits which, in the case of a person with disabilities, could put their future financial security at risk.
Any income — be it earned (e.g., from a job) or unearned (e.g., from an inheritance) — will affect your SSI benefits. If you have recently received an inheritance and are on SSI, you must report your inheritance to the SSA.
A surviving spouse, surviving divorced spouse, unmarried child, or dependent parent may be eligible for monthly survivor benefits based on the deceased worker's earnings. In addition, a one-time lump sum death payment of $255 can be made to a qualifying spouse or child if they meet certain requirements.