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.
The directory has its own link, “ABLE Accounts,” found towards the top of every website page, just to the right of the “Pooled Trusts” directory.
To visit the Directory of State ABLE Account Programs, go to: https://specialneedsanswers.com/able-accounts
