What Is an ABLE Account for People With Disabilities?
These tax-free savings accounts, which allow many people with disabilities or their families to save while remaining on gover...
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Visitors to Special Needs Answers can now find a directory of state ABLE account programs.
The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act allows people with disabilities who became disabled before they turned 26 to set aside up to $15,000 a year in tax-free savings accounts without affecting their eligibility for government benefits like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Modeled on 529 savings plans for higher education, these accounts can be used to pay for qualifying expenses of the account beneficiary, such as the costs of treating the disability or for education, housing and health care, among other things.
Also like 529 plans, each state administers its own program, and ABLE account programs are now being rolled out on a state-by-state basis. This is where the directory comes in. The ABLE directory features a list of states that currently have ABLE programs (now 32 plus the District of Columbia), with direct links to each state program’s website. Click on a state name to see the state program's name and link. Keep in mind that you may be able to set up an ABLE account even if your state does not yet have its own program; many state programs allow out-of-state beneficiaries to open accounts. The directory will be updated as more states bring ABLE programs online.
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Visit the Directory of State ABLE Accoount Programs.
Full description of infographic: Title reads "Why Consider an ABLE Account?" and features 11 blocks of content that read as follows: Congress passed the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act in 2014; For families who have dependents with disabilities: The ABLE Act provides a way to set aside savings money, tax-free, for their loved one; ABLE Accounts can hold up to $100,000; ABLE Accounts are for people with disabilities who were diagnosed with a disability before age 26; Individuals with disabilities can manage their own ABLE accounts, giving them a measure of financial independence; Up to $17,000 per year can be contributed to an ABLE Account; Nearly 120,000 have ABLE accounts nationwide; ABLE Accounts can help pay for disability treatment, assistive technology, education and training, housing, living expenses, health care, legal fees, and transportation; As of 2022, 46 states as well as the District of Columbia have active ABLE account programs in place; Did You Know? ABLE account owners are not at risk of losing their eligibilty for government benefits, such as SSI or Medicaid; Find an ABLE Account program in your state: specialneedsanswers.com/able-accounts.
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