Maximizing ABLE Savings: How Businesses Can Better Support Employees With Disabilities
More than 70 million Americans live with a disability—and there are even more caregivers, parents, and family members supporting someone with a disability. In fact, it’s likely that many of your employees are personally affected, whether they’ve shared it or not.
These employees often find themselves navigating complex financial realities: healthcare, housing, food security, long-term care, and more. That’s where ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) accounts come in.
These tax-advantaged savings and investment accounts help individuals with disabilities save for the future. As an employer, you have an opportunity to help bridge this awareness gap and, in doing so, build a stronger, more supported workplace.
Why Employers Should Care
77% of those who have an immediate family member with a disability say having access to an ABLE account is at least somewhat important to their financial situation. ABLE accounts can support a wide range of individuals and families, including neurodiverse individuals seeking financial independence, parents of children with disabilities saving for care and education, veterans managing service-connected disabilities, and more.
By offering ABLE accounts through your benefits package, employers can provide automatic payroll deposits or direct contributions that help employees save confidently for the future.
ABLE 101 For Employers
Ready to add ABLE to your benefits? Here’s everything you need to know:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Tax Advantages | Earnings and withdrawals are tax-free when used for qualified disability expenses. |
| Qualified Expenses | Includes housing, transportation, healthcare, education, assistive technology, and basic living costs. |
| Public Benefit Protection | Balances below $100,000 do not impact Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit payments. For other federal programs, individuals can save freely with no effect on benefits, regardless of their account balance. |
| Contribution Limits | Currently, individuals can contribute $19,000 per year into their ABLE account, increasing to $20,000 beginning in 2026. Additional contributions are allowed for working beneficiaries who aren’t contributing to a workplace retirement plan. |
| Eligibility | ABLE eligibility is currently available to individuals receiving Supplemental Security benefits for a disability, or individuals with a diagnosis from their physician. In either case, the individual’s disability must have begun before age 26. However, beginning January 1, 2026, individuals whose disability onset occurred before age 46, rather than 26, will also qualify, nearly doubling the number of people eligible for ABLE accounts nationwide. |
| Investment Options | Most programs offer diversified portfolios, similar to 529 plans, designed for short- or long-term investing with risk preferences. |
The Perks of Adding ABLE to Your Benefits
By facilitating access to ABLE accounts, employers can strengthen both their benefits strategy and their workplace culture at no additional cost. Here are some of the top benefits of adding ABLE to your benefits:
- Support employees with disabilities or caregiving responsibilities, helping them plan for the future with confidence.
- Align workplace benefits with modern employee expectations.
- Improve retention and loyalty by offering benefits that demonstrate a supportive workplace culture.
- Strengthen overall financial well-being across your team, which can lead to greater engagement and productivity.
Building Financial Security, Together
ABLE isn’t just a financial tool; it’s a reflection of your company’s commitment to accessibility and long-term employee well-being. More employers are adding disability savings to their benefits to meet the evolving needs of today’s workforce.
Vestwell is the leading ABLE program administrator, powering programs across the country. We make it simple for employers to add disability savings benefits, educate their teams, and facilitate participation seamlessly through payroll.
