The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act is a new law that lets you set up a special bank account for a person with a disability.
This money can be used for disability-related expenses without affecting government benefits.
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You can put up to $16,000 a year into this account, and up to $100,000 total.
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The money will earn tax-free interest.
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This money will not affect government benefits like SSI and MassHealth (up to a limit of $100,000)
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ABLE accounts are only for people who developed their disability before age 26
Money in ABLE Accounts can be used for specific disability-related expenses, including:
Visit these websites to learn more:
(All links will open in a new tab on your screen)
- About ABLE Accounts: National ABLE Resource Center website
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LA ABLE: This is the homepage for the LA ABLE program.
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Once you're on that site, you can find the forms you need here.
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There's also a helpful section on Frequently Asked Questions.
A few things to note:
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The initial contribution to an ABLE account must be at least $10
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The account holder can make only two withdrawals per month, and each must be at least $200
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Money withdrawn for housing expenses that isn't used immediately might affect SSI benefits. We suggest waiting to withdraw money for housing until as close as possible to the date payment is due.
Sources: LA ABLE, LA Developmental Disabilities Council