Article on Disability, Poverty, and the Policy Behind the ABLE Act
The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act enables independence and self-reliance for persons with disabilities. The act created the ABLE account, a powerful tool to help persons with disabilities save money and control their own future. The ABLE account has become enormously popular. States that have implemented ABLE programs report thousands of participants and millions of dollars being saved by persons with disabilities. Ohio opened the first ABLE program on June 1, 2016. Since then more than 34 states have started ABLE programs, with more states joining on a regular basis.
ABLE accounts allow persons with disabilities to save money without jeopardizing their eligibility for public benefits. ABLE account income grows tax free and if spent on qualified disability expenses (QDEs) remains tax free. Persons with disabilities are in control of their own accounts, thus giving them more self-determination in their financial futures. This freedom to control their own money is a first for many persons with disabilities.
The ABLE account has rare bipartisan support and indicates Congress’s attempt to address the situation of people with disabilities who live in poverty, survive on meager incomes, and face asset limitations in an effort to maintain public benefit eligibility. The use of ABLE accounts will likely be expanded in the future.
Strict limitations apply to ABLE account use. An ABLE account can only be used by persons disabled prior to age 26 and must be funded with cash. The maximum funding amount each year is limited to the annual gift tax exemption amount ($15,000 in 2018). For Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility purposes, an ABLE account is exempt up to $100,000; for Medicaid-only eligibility purposes, it is exempt up to a state’s 529 plan limit. If ABLE account income is spent on non-QDEs, it is taxed, and a penalty is assessed, and on the death of the person with a disability, payback to the state Medicaid agency applies. Due to these limitations, the ABLE account is not enough to break the cycle of poverty for many persons with disabilities. It does, however, provide some relief and can be used as part of an effective special needs plan.
This article reviews how the ABLE account came into existence, compares ABLE accounts with special needs trusts (SNTs), and discusses ABLE account legal requirements, how various federal agencies have interpreted ABLE accounts, and the options available in states’ ABLE programs.