RI's ABLE: Savings Plans for People with Disabilities

Learn more about RI's ABLE by following this link.

For educators, please click to access the Memorandum from the Office of the General Treasurer, along with the RI ABLE Brochure in English and Spanish. This information pertains to the implementation and compliance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-7.2-20.9.

Save for your loved one while preserving their benefits!

Rhode Island’s Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) program allows those with disabilities and their families to save for many daily, disability-related expenses on a tax-deferred basis – without limiting their ability to benefit from supplemental security income (SSI), Medicaid, and other federal programs.

How does RI ABLE help? 
Special tax advantages 

• Earnings on investments are federally tax-deferred, maximizing your return.
• Withdrawals are federally tax-free, if used for qualified disability expenses. 

Keep your current benefits 

• Balances under $100,000 are excluded from the SSI resource limit.
• Your loved one would continue to be eligible for Medicaid, regardless of your account balance. 

Easy to use 

• Open an account online with as little as $25.
• Easy access to your account.
• With the easy-to-use Ugift® feature, anyone can contribute to your loved one’s account.

Is your loved one eligible? 

You can open an ABLE account for your loved one if: 

1. Their qualifying disability was present before the age of 26 and one of the following is true. A) They experience blindness as determined by the Social Security Act; or
2. B) They are entitled to receive SSI or SSDI benefits or have a similarly severe disability with a written diagnosis from a licensed physician. 

The account owner or authorized individual must certify the disability. See Plan Disclosure Documents for details.

What are qualified disability expenses? 

These are ANY expenses that are incurred as a result of living with a disability and are intended to improve your loved one’s quality of life. 

Qualified expenses include: 

• Education
• Transportation
• Basic living expenses
• Health and wellness
• Assistive technology
• Personal support services
• Housing
• Financial management
• Employment training
• And support and more 

Withdrawals for non-qualified expenses will be taxed at the account owner’s tax rate and will be subject to a 10% federal tax penalty and applicable state taxes.