Updated as of September 7, 2024.
Eligibility for an ABLE account requires the following:
Age of disability onset
- Must have met the disability requirement before reaching the age of 26
- If older than 26, must prove that disability occurred before 26th birthday
Disability
- Uses Social Security definition of disability
- If you receive SSI or SSDI and meet the age of onset requirement, you are qualified.
- If you would qualify for SSI or SSDI based on disability (but do not meet other requirements for those programs)
- Alternatively, “For the current tax year have filed a valid disability certification with the Secretary of the Treasury.”
Authorized to open the account
- A beneficiary age 18 or older OR
- An Authorized Legal Representative (ALR) for the beneficiary
- If the beneficiary is older than 18, must be an individual who has been appointed as “Power of Attorney, Legal Guardian, or Conservator for the Beneficiary.
- Can be a parent if the beneficiary is younger than 18
More About ABLE Accounts
Comprehensive post: All About ABLE Accounts
Individual topics
- What Are 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
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.