Updated as of May 6, 2024.
ABLE stands for Achieving a Better Life Experience. ABLE accounts are specifically designed to allow qualifying individuals with disabilities to save money without losing eligibility for government benefits. ABLE accounts provide an inexpensive and uncomplicated way to save funds for many individuals with disabilities.
Before ABLE accounts became available, “special needs trusts” (SNTs) were the primary means of saving for disability-related expenses while remaining eligible for programs like SSI. ABLE accounts are easier and less expensive to set up and maintain than SNTs, and they provide additional benefits in terms of management and use of funds for housing and food. However, SNTs are still useful, and a person may have both an ABLE account and an SNT.
More About ABLE Accounts
Bridges Flyer: Maryland ABLE Account Frequently Asked Questions
Individual topics
- About ABLE Accounts
- Benefits of ABLE Accounts
- Who Qualifies for an ABLE Account?
- How Can ABLE Account Funds Be Spent?
- How Much Money Can Go into an ABLE Account?
- How Do I Set Up an ABLE Account?
- What Else Should I Know About ABLE Accounts?
- Words of Warning About ABLE Accounts
Contact the Bridges Helpdesk for More Information
- Our Accessible web form
- Email: Helpdesk@imagemd.org
- Text: Send to: (410) 357-1546
- Voice mail: Call (410) 357-1546, leave a voice mail message, and we will return your call
- Bridges Helpdesk Facebook page
This unique project is being coordinated through The IMAGE Center of Maryland, a center for independent living in Towson, and it is funded by a grant from the Maryland Department of Education Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services.