I agree with all the others. Disability income from social security (called SSDI or SSD) is not the same thing as the needs based program SSI, supplemental income. Once you get approved for disability benefits then the monthly amount is based on what you paid into the system during the years you worked. The amount of assets you own (house, bank account, etc.) and any passive income (interest, dividends, inheritance) won't change anything. They would only care if your income came from working.
Because I'm married, and my husband works, our joint income is much more than just my social security disability. My monthly amount was never affected by how much our income went up or down over the years.
What has changed, because we file a joint tax return, is how much gets deducted each month for my Medicare premiums. When our joint income was higher (before he retired and went to part time consulting) then my Medicare premiums were higher (totally fair). When our income went down, my premiums went down.
I think an inheritance counts as income (shows up on your tax return). But even so, it would have to be a pretty large amount before it mattered. Any individual with an income of less than $85,000 per year pays the standard Medicare premium. The premium is only increased if your income is more than that.
See
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10536.html#a0=5 for a table with details
I short, I don't think this affects you unless your inheritance is huge AND it counts as normal taxable income. Even then, I think it just means that your Medicare premiums would go up for that one year of increased income and then come back down again. If your inheritance is that big you can probably afford the extra premiums.
However, I'm not a lawyer, so please don't rely on my info!
Of course, I have no clue about any other issues (there will be
blood taxes!) with an inheritance but I'm assuming your lawyer actually knows about that part of the issue. I'm just surprised that a lawyer can be so easily confused about how it will impact social security disability payments. I hope the medicare.gov site has the information you need.
PS. I made a little joke above but I actually don't mind paying my taxes. I consider it part of living in a civilized society. And taxes in the USA are at a 30 year low for almost all groups. Just thought I'd clarify in case someone took my joke the wrong way.
