Who is eligible?
Who can have an account?
ABLE accounts are a life-changing tool for millions of people of all ages. Adults who developed a disability later in life, veterans and guardians planning future financial stability for adult children with disabilities can take advantage of these accounts.
To be eligible for an ABLE account, the beneficiary must:
Have a disability that started before the age of 46 that will last, or has lasted at least a year
Disabilities include autism, mental illness, physical disabilities, deafness, blindness, and other conditions listed on the Social Security Administration’s "Listing of Impairments" or the “List of Compassionate Allowances Conditions”
Have a U.S. permanent address that is not a Post Office Box
Confirm one of the following:
Are eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) because of a disability
Can produce a signed diagnosis form* by a licensed physician if requested
*CalABLE recommends you seek a signed diagnosis form from a licensed physician if you are not already receiving SSI or SSDI. This is not required to open an account and will not be submitted to CalABLE, but CalABLE suggests you have one on hand for your own record keeping.
How to open an account?
If you are the beneficiary and are over the age of 18 and can manage your own account, go ahead, and get started.
If you’re the Authorized Legal Representative (ALR) of an individual with a qualifying disability, you can open an account if you can attest that you have been selected by the eligible beneficiary with legal capacity, have a fully and properly executed Power of Attorney, are a court-appointed conservator or legal guardian, are a spouse, parent, sibling, or grandparent, or are a representative payee (individual or organization), in that order of priority.
