Advocacy Team
Access Living friends and allies,
This week, there’s a lot happening to fight for economic justice for people with disabilities. We’d like to ask you to help us fight to pass a law on ABLE accounts!
Support the ABLE Age Adjustment Act!
Currently, only individuals who have a qualifying disability prior to age 26 are eligible to open an account in an Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) plan, a savings and investment account for people with disabilities to save for disability-related expenses. If passed, the ABLE Age Adjustment Act would raise the age of eligibility to those have a qualifying disability before age 46. We need your help! Please contact your representatives in Congress using this quick link to ask that they support the ABLE Age Adjustment Act (S. 331 and H.R. 1219).
What is an ABLE Account? An ABLE account is a tax-advantaged savings account to which contributions can be made to meet the qualified disability expenses of the owner, or designated beneficiary. An ABLE account is very helpful for people with disabilities who rely on SSi and Medicaid. It allows people to save money for disability related expenses without affecting their benefits.
Right now, in order to be eligible to own an ABLE account, a person must:
…Be eligible for SSI based on disability or blindness that began before age 26;
…Be entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance benefits (DIB), childhood disability benefits (CDB), or disabled widow’s or widower’s benefits (DWB) based on disability or blindness that began before age 26; or
…Have certified, or have a parent or guardian that has certified, that he or she met the criteria for a disability certification before age 26.
As you can see, a lot more people would benefit if the age limit was raised to 42. Learn more at the federal Social Security Administration page on ABLE accounts.
Please share this action opportunity with fellow advocates. Thank you.