ABLE accounts are one of the most powerful financial tools available to people with disabilities — they let you save money without losing your SSI, Medicaid, or other means-tested benefits. But there's one critical eligibility requirement that trips people up more than any other, and getting it wrong means you can't open an account at all.
In this article, we'll cover:
- What an ABLE account is and why it matters for benefit recipients
- The age-of-onset requirement that catches people off guard
- How to determine whether you qualify
- What to do if your disability began after the cutoff age
- Other ways to protect your benefits if ABLE isn't an option
What Is an ABLE Account?
An ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) account is a tax-advantaged savings account for people with disabilities. The money you save in an ABLE account is excluded from the SSI resource limit, meaning you can have funds in an ABLE account without it counting toward the $2,000 individual limit ($3,000 for couples) that normally applies to SSI recipients.
You can contribute up to $20,000 per year to an ABLE account, and if you're working, you may be able to contribute an additional amount (roughly $15,650 in 2026) through the ABLE to Work provision. The funds can be used for a wide range of disability-related expenses including housing, transportation, education, assistive technology, health care, and basic living expenses.
For someone on SSI who constantly has to worry about staying under the resource limit, an ABLE account can be transformative. It's a place to save for emergencies, plan for larger purchases, or simply build a small financial cushion without risking your benefits.
The Mistake: Ignoring the Age-of-Onset Requirement
Here's where people get tripped up. To open an ABLE account, your disability must have begun before age 26. This is called the age-of-onset requirement, and it's the single most common reason people are disqualified from opening an account.
It doesn't matter how severe your disability is, how long you've been receiving benefits, or how much you need the savings protection. If your qualifying disability began at age 26 or later, you are not currently eligible for an ABLE account under federal law.
This requirement was part of the original ABLE Act passed in 2014. While there have been legislative efforts to raise the age to 46 (through the proposed ABLE Age Adjustment Act), as of 2026, the cutoff remains at 26.
How to Determine Your Age of Onset
Your age of onset is the age at which your disability began — not when you were diagnosed, not when you applied for benefits, and not when you were approved. This is an important distinction.
For example, if you developed symptoms of a condition at age 22 but weren't formally diagnosed until age 30, your age of onset could still be 22 if you can demonstrate that the disability was present at that earlier age. Medical records, school records, therapy notes, or other documentation from before age 26 can help establish an earlier onset date.
If you're already receiving SSI or SSDI and your disability began before age 26, you generally meet the eligibility requirement. Social Security's records will show your onset date, and you can use this information when opening your ABLE account. If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), your established onset date is part of your disability determination and can typically be found in your award letter.
For people who aren't receiving SSI or SSDI but still have a qualifying disability that began before 26, you'll need to self-certify your eligibility. This means providing a signed statement that you meet the criteria, along with a diagnosis from a licensed physician.
What If Your Disability Began After Age 26?
If your disability started at 26 or later, you currently cannot open an ABLE account. This is frustrating for the millions of Americans who develop disabilities later in life through illness, accidents, or progressive conditions — and it's one of the most criticized aspects of the ABLE program.
However, there are other options to consider for protecting your benefits and building financial stability.
Special Needs Trusts are one alternative. A first-party or third-party special needs trust can hold assets without affecting SSI eligibility. Trusts are more complex and expensive to set up than ABLE accounts, but they don't have an age-of-onset requirement and can hold significantly more money.
Spending down resources strategically is another approach. If you're approaching the SSI resource limit, you can use excess funds to pay for allowable expenses — prepaying rent, buying necessary household items, paying down debt, or covering medical expenses — to bring your countable resources back below the threshold.
Excluded resources also help. Certain assets don't count toward the SSI resource limit, including your primary home, one vehicle, household goods and personal effects, burial funds up to $1,500, and life insurance with a face value of $1,500 or less. Understanding what's excluded can help you manage your resources more effectively.
Keep an Eye on Legislation
The ABLE Age Adjustment Act, which would raise the age-of-onset requirement from 26 to 46, has been introduced in Congress multiple times with bipartisan support. If this legislation passes, millions of additional Americans with disabilities would become eligible for ABLE accounts.
It's worth following this issue, because a change in the law could open up a significant new savings opportunity for you or someone you care about.
The Bottom Line
The age-of-onset requirement is the most common barrier to opening an ABLE account, and it's one that many people don't learn about until they've already tried to apply. If your disability began before age 26, don't wait — an ABLE account could be one of the most important financial tools you have. If your disability began later, explore alternatives like special needs trusts and strategic resource management to protect your benefits.
Purple helps you manage your disability benefits and navigate tools like ABLE accounts — so you can save without risking the benefits you depend on.