- Why Illinois ABLE? Because individuals with disabilities and their families need to be able to save money for additional expenses that come with having a disability and to improve their quality of life! Disability advocates fought for 10 years to make it possible for people with disabilities to build stronger financial futures without losing their federal means-tested benefits, like SSI and Medicaid.
- What is ABLE? ABLE stands for “A Better Life Experience.” An ABLE account is a savings and investment account that qualifying people with disabilities can open. When you have an ABLE account, you can withdraw the funds from your ABLE account and use the funds for disability-related expenses. Taxes on earnings from the ABLE account are deferred, and you don’t pay any taxes on the money you withdraw from your ABLE account as long as you use it for disability-related expenses.
- Who can have an ABLE account? You can open an ABLE account if you have a disability and 1) the symptoms of your disability were present before you turned 26 years old and 2) your disability meets the criteria set by the Social Security Administration’s definition of disability.
- What can I do with an ABLE account? You can save up to $100,000 without losing your SSI monthly benefits. You can save and invest your own money. You can pay for qualifying disability expenses, such as housing, therapy, transportation, training and many other expenses. You can save money from your job. You can gain some control and independence.
- Where do I go to get more information or to open an Illinois ABLE account? Visit Treasurer’s website at www.illinoistreasurer.gov. You can also plan to attend JJ Hanley’s presentation, “Making the ABLE Program Work for You – a Better Life Experience Essentials Workshop” at the NADS Conference on August 11, 2018 at St. Ignatius College Prep, 1076 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL 60608.
Also, here is a link to a webinar presented by Mary Anne Ehlert of Protected Tomorrows and Brian Rubin of Rubin Law regarding the ABLE act. Link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agrFxKETPZU&feature=youtu.be