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		    ABLE National Resource Center
		    #ABLEtoSAVE Opens the Door to 
			   Housing Opportunities
			      April 16, 2024
				  1:30 p.m. EST 
 
[Recording in progress] 
[Captioner standing by] 
>> CHEYENNE RIVERS: Hello, everyone.  Thank you for joining us today.  The webinar will begin here momentarily.  
[Pause]
>> CHEYENNE RIVERS: Welcome, everyone, to #ABLEtoSAVE Opens the Door to Housing Opportunities.  We're so glad you are here and able to join us today.  My name is Cheyenne Rivers, I am the Project Coordinator for ABLE National Resource Center.  
Listening to the webinar today.  The audio for today's meeting can be accessed using computer audio, or by calling in by phone.  If you select computer audio, please make sure your speakers are turned on, or your headphones are plugged in.
If you do not have sound capabilities on your computer or prefer to listen by the phone, dial 1‑929‑205‑6099.  The meeting code is 817 0131 5336.  
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If your question is not answered, or if you are listening by phone or Facebook Live, please e‑mail, info@ablenrc.org, or visit our website, at ablenrc.org.  
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ABLE National Resource Center is the leading comprehensive source of objective, independent information about able plans.  Including guidance on tax advantaged ABLE savings accounts.  Our mission is to educate, promote, and support the positive impact ABLE can make on the lives of millions of Americans with disabilities and their families.  

>> JODY ELLIS: Hello, everyone.  My name is Jody Ellis, I'm the ABLE NRC resource director and your facilitator today and I'm joined by two presenters.  Edward Mitchell, who is an ABLE National Resource Center am boss ‑‑ ambassador and serves as interpret Executive Director for the Statewide Independent Living Council of Tennessee I am joined by Emily Munson, she is an ABLE National Resource Center ambassador as well and an attorney, and ABLE account owner.  So thank you both for joining me today to share your wisdom of being an account owner and your experience.  
Also, supported in today's webinar, you have already met Cheyenne Rivers, the ABLE NRC Project Coordinator.  And I'm joined by two ABLE Subject Matter Experts, Laurie Schaller and Marlene.  So Laurie and Marlene are the individuals answering the questions in the Q&A on behalf of the ABLE NRC today.  
So for the agenda, we will be covering what is ABLE to Save month?  What is an ABLE account and how can it help with housing?  What resources and strategies are available to help you achieve your housing goal?  And you will learn from two ABLE NRC Ambassadors will their use of ABLE accounts for housing on an other expenses.  
So #ABLEtoSAVE.  #ABLEtoSAVE is a month‑long educational campaign and it's designed to provide information and resources about the ease, the use and significance of ABLE accounts for people with disabilities.  
And although there are 162,000 plus ABLE accounts that are currently open, that number is still very low compared to the number of ABLE eligible individuals in United States.  
We also want to thank our #ABLEtoSAVE sponsor, Prudential.  In this year's campaign includes two webinars.  The webinar today, #ABLEtoSAVE Opens the Door to Housing Opportunities, and then we'll have another webinar on April 25th for #ABLEtoSAVE for Lifelong Financial Wellness and highlight four ABLE Ambassadors and their use of ABLE accounts and we'll be sure to put the second #ABLEtoSAVE on April 25th in the chat box for your reference.  
Next, we do have widespread participation from ABLE programs including major disability national disability groups, financial institutions and other stakeholders.  And we would love for you to join this year's campaign.  Please follow us on social media.  We have Facebook, Instagram, threads, our website, and links LinkedIn and if you post anything with ABLE to Save, please use the hashtag, #ABLEtoSAVE.  
Before we begin, we will give a quick overview of ABLE accounts and then talk more about the intersectionality of ABLE with housing.  So to begin, ABLE is a tool to obtain financial independence.  The ABLE Act allows millions of people with disabilities the chance to save and invest money in a 529 account without paying taxes on investment earners.  ABLE account owners that receive needs‑based benefits such as SSI or Medicaid can save more than the savings limit, which is typically $2,000, and still get the benefits that they need.  
The savings can be spent on things that help the person stay, healthy, independent and have a good life.  This includes basic needs like food and housing.  Also, anyone can deposit money in the account up to $18,000 a year in 2024.  And employed account owners may be able to contribute more.  
For resource limits, ABLE savings up to, and including, the first $100,000 is not counted as a resource for SSI, which is Supplemental Security Income benefits, as well as Medicaid or Medicare Part D.  And a person who has any amount of ABLE savings, it does not impact other benefits programs such as SSDI, HUD, section eight, SNAP, federal student aid, Medicare or Medicaid including Medicaid waiver services.  
So who is ABLE eligible?  Any person who has received SSI or SSDI since before the age of 26.  And as of January 1st of 2026, this age of on set will be the age before 46.  A person with a disability that gain ‑‑ began before age of 26 but has not received SSI or SSDI, could ask their doctor to sign a disability certification indicating that their disability began for the age of 26 and it results in severe functional limitations.  
Also, if you no longer receive SSI or SSDI, but your disability began before the age of 26 and continues, you are still ABLE eligible.  And we talk about onset of disability, but it's important to note that you can open up an ABLE account at any age.  
Next, what are the State ABLE programs?  There are 46 states that have State ABLE programs and there are also three national plans from which to choose.  And you can open up one ABLE account and there are many plans that accept out of state residents.  And if you are interested in comparing different tools, or different state plans, we do have a comparison tool on our ABLE NRC website that will allow you to compare the state plans.  And you can look at different features such as whether or not they have a debit card, what their account fees are, what their investment or savings options are.  So we encourage you to take a look at those.  
Next, we are going to be talking about qualified disability expenses.  So ABLE funds can be used for Qualified Disability Expenses, what we call QDEs.  They need to relate to the ABLE account owners disability.  They are for the benefit of the ABLE account owner.  And they have to relate to maintaining, or improving, health independence or quality of life.  
So it's important to know that housing expenses don't necessarily have to relate to the owner's disability.  It is related to maintaining and improving health independence or quality of life.  
On the next slide, we're going to be talking specifically about the different domains and areas of qualified disability expenses, education.  We already talked about food, transportation, employment, health.  But today, as you know from the title of our course, we're going to be focused on housing.  
So examples of housing expenses could be rent or mortgage, property taxes, property insurance, home modifications, gas or heating fuel, water, sewer, garbage removal, electric bills.  These are just all of some examples of housing expenses that you can use funds in your ABLE account for.  
And before we get started with the panel, and I re‑introduce Edward, I do want to clarify two points: When we talk about housing today, we're referring to a home, a single‑family home, a condominium, a town home, a tiny home.  Could be an accessory dwelling unit, or AUD.  These are commonly referred to as a carriage house ar in‑law suite or backyard cottage to name a few examples.  
And it would be a mobile home, it would be a modular home, or any other type of home.  So not all homes will look‑alike, but any of those homes are qualified for types of what we are talking about today.  And then the other point of clarification I want to make is that it's important to know what type of benefit you receive, especially if you're considering a home purchase.  
So if you are unsure if you receive Supplemental Security Income, SSI or SSDI, we suggest you contact the Social Security Administration directly.  You could also set up a My Social Security account online which will show you what benefit you receive.  And it's important to know what benefit you receive because they all have different rules and different guidelines.  
So just as one example, if you receive SSI, you can own one primary residence, the home that you live in.  But if you receive SSDI, you should purchase as many homes as choose or you can afford and it would still not impact your benefits.  
Also, if you are working or planning to work, know that there are free services able through Social Security Administration with a financial skirts counselor.  Up first is Mr. Edward Mitchell.  I would like to re‑introduce him, ask him to share some of his experience related to ABLE accounts and housing.  
So Edward, I know that you have been an ABLE account owner for several years now.  And I know that you have presented testimony for Congress.  You have lots of information about the benefits of using an ABLE account that you've shared through your networks, especially your professional network through the Statewide Independent Living Council of Tennessee.  So in addition to your professional role, I know that you're saving for accessibility features.  Can you tell the audience a little bit about yourself and about your ABLE savings journey.  
>> EDWARD MITCHELL: My entry into the disabled world was when I was a victim of a hit‑and‑run accident in 2003 when I was struck from behind and tossed into a cornfield from there, it's been a matriculation.  Graduating high school.  Attending an HBCU, pledging a fraternity, then going on to get my masters: And within that disability journey, it was stumbling upon ABLE accounts to help me get a vehicle and saving for my second wheelchair accessible van I have recently gotten.  Using my ABLE account to save for my wheel chair accessible van and now looking for accessible housing.  Now that aye conquered that ABLE goal, and, again, still have minor goals such as accessible gym equipment, the long‑range now is to purchase a home using my ABLE account savings.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Wonderful.  Are you able to give some resources you have shared in the past with your networks, or that you personally plan to use to prepare for home ownership or to make your living space more accessible?  
>> EDWARD MITCHELL: Yes.  What I plan on doing, I plan on attending a few of the different first‑time home buyer classes offered locally and a lot of them are still doing virtual meetings that way to, one, learn more about the different type of loans out there, as far as FHA, and other ones to really see what best suits me and my needs.  As my time in working for a center for independent living in director services, there's a vast amount of resources out there such as, again, you have the aging in place program that helps individuals customize their homes, make them more accessible.  So then they can age gracefully into their home.  There are also other programs such as with rural development, you have two different ones.  You have the 504 Home Repair Program and then single family home loans as well to be used in rural areas.  
Again, even here locally, again, I stress this, please look locally in your own area because we have a non‑profit called Jonah Affordable Housing and their job here are Jonah is to make sure they're providing homes and assistance for individuals with different types of disabilities, but also low to medium income to show them what it's like to be a renter, but also into home ownership.  These local programs go a long way in order to help shape the way people think about home ownership, but also giving them the tools and what to look for no matter if they're disabled or somebody that's low or medium income.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Yeah, excellent.  And these resources also ‑‑ it's a good strategy to use resources that are either available in your local area that you are eligible for because, then, you did preserve as much savings as is possible in your ABLE account so that those funds can then grow and benefit you as well.  
So we're talking about housing opportunities today.  We do have a focus on home ownership, but there are other housing‑related expenses that you can save for besides actually buying a home.  
So can you give some examples of how an ABLE account could be used to support housing expenses that is not necessarily home ownership.  
>> EDWARD MITCHELL: For those that aren't mobility impaired, wheelchair ramps, those are one of the things that's never going away unless you go with an aluminum ramp.  Lowering counter height the inside the homes.  An accessible shower.  Different customizations that really make the home accessible for the individual with a disability.  Again, the laundry area, really re‑mapping it so then the washer and drier are at waste level height.  So the individual, if they're mobility impaired, can reach in.  So it's tailored to their disability and that taps into one, reaching out to your Statewide Independent Living Council to help contact you with centers for independent living because they may have resources to allow for these customizations or home re‑weatherization programs and other non‑profits or organizations that help aid in making sure your home is accessible and easy for you to maneuver and operate.  
>> Excellent.  Thank you.  Can you share a little about your personal story of how you have made and how you're currently making contributions to your ABLE account to help prepare you for your goals.  
>> EDWARD MITCHELL: Yes, I was working in professional sports, so using second job to, again, make sure that money was put directly into my ABLE account.  Because, again, once it's put there, I know I'm saving for long‑term savings.  Since I was a victim of a hit‑and‑run accident March 29th, which is still an unsolved case, people in the community asked, how can we help support you or what can we do?  And, again, a direct contribution into my ABLE account is what I tell them they can do.  And even March Madness happened and other people's brackets got busted and what can they do for me?  Again, contribution into my ABLE account and once I have that home, I'll be able to watch an NCAA game in my home.  
>> JODY ELLIS: And how easy is it for people to donate into your account?  What do you have to do or tell them, or what type of information do you have to provide so that the funds go into your account and not necessarily pass through you, and you deposit.  Maybe explain that process a little.  
>> EDWARD MITCHELL: A smooth transition process.  The individual that owns the ABLE account will set up their only portal with a gift‑giving code and that works just like any other app that's out there now using codes.  So, again, you would have that setup, give it to the individual, and they can make that direct contribution so it's not touching my hands, the individual with the disabilities's hands, it's able to be done one‑on‑one, between them and their financial institution to make sure those funds are deposited.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Great.  Thank you.  And then you had mentioned that it would be important to connect with either your statewide independent living counsel or through centers for independent living.  So how would audience members access these resources that could help them with their housing?  
>> EDWARD MITCHELL: Go on Google and type in your state's statewide independent living councils of your state and that website will pop up.  And you can call that organization and even on their websites, they'll have a feeder tree that will show you all the other centers for independent living that are in your state.  
You can also reach out to the national council on independent living out of Washington, D.C.  We are all here to reach one, teach one.  But, again, either Googling Statewide Independent Living Council, your state, or my local center for independent living and it will pop up.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Thank you so much, Edward.  I want to con great late you on meeting your savings goals especially related to your accessible vehicles.  Your story shows the flexibility of an ABLE account, that it can be used for different things throughout the years and the life‑span.  So I appreciate that.  Thank you for sharing.  
Please stay on the line because there might be some questions that are asked of you specifically later.  But, again, I think you for sharing your story.  
Next, I would like to re‑introduce you to Emily Munson.  And Emily has had a professional career.  She has been an ABLE account owner for a number of years.  So Emily, if you could, tell the audience a little bit about your ABLE journey.  And specifically, why you decided to open an ABLE account.  
>> EMILY MUNSON: Hey, everybody.  So I am an attorney.  And I knew that I would need a white collar job as a person with a disability, but I think we realized that it's because I'm someone with spinal muscular atrophies Type 2 who needs assistance with every activity of daily living, qualifying for programs like Medicaid are incredibly important to me.  
So managing an income of your middle class professional, while maintaining eligibility for vital public service programs like Medicaid, really positioned ABLE accounts as great way to have the money I needed to pay for living expenses and go about my job rather than having to live a life of impoverishment, or even considering not working at all.  
So, when ABLE accounts were created, I went out and started mine back when only three ABLE authorities were open at the time.  So thank you Nebraska.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Yeah.  So Emily, you had your ABLE account owner that you live in a different state than where your ABLE plan is located.  And that, at the time, was just because your state didn't have one opened.  
>> EMILY MUNSON: That's right.  And Indiana does have an ABLE authority now, but because our legislature won't pass tax incentives or an anti‑claw back rule, I don't see a point right now to transfer my ABLE account.  But if Indiana ever did offer greater state‑based incentives, then I would consider transferring my account to a different authority.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Yeah.  Great.  So in 2023, you became a proud homeowner.  So congratulations to that, Emily, for achieving that big milestone.  Could you explain how you used your ABLE account to your advantage either before or during or now after the home buying process.  
>> EMILY MUNSON: Yeah.  First of all, thank you for the congratulations.  And I will say that when I was looking at houses, I knew that, for me, I was looking for a house with ‑‑ worth about 2.5 times my annual salary.  That's what a lot of books recommend.  And I knew I did not want to pay mortgage insurance, so I was looking at a pretty heft hefty 20% down payment, a little over $60,000.  And so that was down payment plus closing costs.  So I used my ABLE account to pay for part of the down payment in closing costs.  And I supplemented that money from money with a self‑settled special needs I created ‑‑ I was saving for an accessible van.  So it was those two funding sources that I used to pay my down payment.  
And now, my house is still not ‑‑ I still haven't been able to get inside of it because there are stairs up into the house.  It's been a time‑consuming process working with my state vocational rehabilitation program to try and get home modifications.  But I'm going to use my ABLE account again possibly to add a new accessible bathroom on to the home.  And then a lot of programs like vocational and rehabilitation, or home mods through a Medicaid waiver only pay for builder‑grade materials, so I will probably use the money in my account to upgrade the quality of the materials.  Because, just like I don't want to live in poverty, I don't want a sub par looking house either [laughing].  
>> JODY ELLIS: Exactly.  Exactly.  You deserve to have the types of materials or upgrades that you want and that will make your life more independent and easier and healthier.  So kudos to you for staying steadfast, but I'm sure you're also very anxious to move in at the same time.  
We had a question that was brought up, and I'm not sure, Emily, if you can answer this, but when an ABLE account is used for certain housing or housing‑related expenses, there's a special rule about with drawing the funds and then keeping them until the next month or even in other months.  Can you comment at all about this?  
>> EMILY MUNSON: So, it's my understanding that the Social Security Administration has a rule that housing and expenses relating to housing be withdrawn from the ABLE account and paid in the same month.  Any money leftover in the subsequent month would be considered a resource if the ABLE owner was holding on to it.  
So housing expenses, whether they be a mortgage, property taxes, rent, heating fuel, gas, electricity, water, sewer, garbage removal, and what not, those can be paid for with ABLE money, but they need to be paid for in the same month that the owner takes that money out of their account.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Right.  And I would imagine this is especially important for people who are on the means tested benefits of Supplemental Security Income or receiving Medicaid and probably wouldn't be as applicable to someone who is on SSDI or not on benefits at all.  
>> EMILY MUNSON: That's my understanding.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Yeah, thank you.  Thank you so much for clarifying that.  There are a lot of people out there, Emily, who do not think that home ownership is a possibility for someone with a disability.  And specifically, for someone who receives SSI or Medicaid.  Do you have any words of advice for someone who is skeptical of this opportunity?  
>> EMILY MUNSON: Yeah.  I mean, don't set the bar for yourself, or someone that you love with a disability, really low.  Set the bar high, plan for it, and see what's out there.  I was not eligible for a lot of income‑based home ownership assistance programs, but there are a lot of them out there.  
I know that some government backed mortgages, an individual only needs to put down a 3% down payment in order to get a mortgage.  So there are a lot of options out there, even if people don't consider themselves wealthy.  Even if they are needing to use means tested programs like myself.  So I would really encourage people not to close off options before really thoroughly exploring them.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Yes, great advice.  Great advice.  How has being a how many owner changed your perspective or your way of life?  
>> EMILY MUNSON: I think I feel more motivated to engage in my community.  Always in the back of my mind, I toyed with the idea of running for elected office.  I love politics.  So I've been thinking, in my neighborhood, hmm, some of our elected officials are kind of getting up there in years.  Maybe this is a good launching pad to get into that.  
But I think a lot of times, society discredits people with disabilities saying, oh, well, they don't deserve this or that.  They don't have a job.  They don't own their own home.  They don't know what life is like.  Well, I'm here.  I have a full‑time job.  I am a homeowner.  And so just representing more folks with districts in the political process, in the economic sphere, is kind of that door is little bit wider I think than it was before.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Excellent.  Thank you so very much for your inspiring story.  And, please, also stay on the webinar in case there are questions that come in, Emily, specifically for you as I get through the next slide.  So thank you very much for sharing.  
So the key takeaways that we have learned from our two panelists today is, one, use available resources to maximize your ABLE savings.  So explore what you are eligible for, and they may be disability related or may be housing related for any neighborhood or community.  So some examples for resources we discussed could be Medicaid waiver, first‑time home buyer programs, HUD housing vouchers, USDA grants.  There are assistive technology grants and loans that are available.  Emily had mentioned about vocational rehabilitation and home modifications and Edward mentioned some centers for independent living.  Those resources are not exhaustive.  There are many others.  
Again, as Edward suggested, look at the resources that are available in your community.  And remember that you, or any other person, can deposit funds into an ABLE account to help you reach your goal.  And Qualified Disability Expenses for housing do not have to directly relate to your disability.  These are needed to maintain your independence and quality of life.  
ABLE accounts are a flexible tool that can be used for a variety of different housing opportunities, including renting and home ownership.  And they could be used for a variety of different homes, and living arrangements.  Remember, that a primary mess dense is ‑‑ residence is not a countable asset for means tested programs such as SSI or Medicaid: You can have SSI income and own a residence.  
Next, what I want to do is give you a few resources.  We talked about some housing and disability‑related resources, but the ABLE National Resource Center also has a variety of different resources for you to access.  
You can go on you our website, ablenrc.org.  There are decision guides.  There's informational flyers.  I know you have already met Edward and Emily, but you can meet our fabulous other ABLE Ambassadors.  There are #ABLEtoSAVE Podcast and we have websites on demand, as well as notifications of upcoming webinars.  And can sign up for AchievABLE news letters.  
We also have tool kits for an employer, service provider, youth and transition, as well as a media tool kit so we encourage you to access those.  And NDI, the National Disability Institute, also have a variety of related resources.  
So if you have a ticket to work, NDI has an American dream employment network that can provide comprehensive employment supports to help provide a return to work.  We have an assistive technology loan program and list.  We have a Financial Resilience Center and Small Business Hub.  So we encourage you to check out resources that we have available to you.  
So we want you to help spread the word.  So please share information about ABLE accounts with friends, family and community groups.  Please share the hashtag, #ABLEtoSAVE.  Join our campaign, stay connected.  We want you to stay connected was throughout the year, not just #ABLEtoSAVE month.  But we have an upcoming webinar for ABLE to Save month on April 25th.  At 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.  We'll have a panel of four ABLE National Resource Center ambassadors and they'll describe how they use their ABLE accounts in youth transition, work and retirement stages of life.  
And we are continuingly developing new resources and providing educational opportunities about ABLE throughout the year May 14th, we'll co‑host a webinar with Vest well.  And in June, you can expect to doubled two ‑‑ download two free housing guides.  One is a home inheritance guide and the other is an ABLE home ownership guide and we'll release those in June as we recognize National Home Ownership Month.  
We're now ready for questions and answers.  I haven't been able to see the questions and answers that have been raised in the Q&A box.  But if Marlene or Laurie could let us know whether there are questions that came up for any of the panelists first.  

>> Go ahead, Marlene.  
>> Marlene: Jody, there were a lot of questions related to housing and housing related expenses on what ABLE funds can be used for.  Can they be used for down payments?  Can they be used for an HOA fee?  Could they be used for making a dwelling accessible?  Can they be used for rent?  Those were a lot of the primary questions.  
>> JODY ELLIS: And I'm assuming you answered those, but maybe just in a re‑cap, a brief summary, if you could just verbally kind of explain.  I think the answer was yes to all of them with the exception of possibly the home ownership fees, I know there's a caveat if you want to explain that quickly.  
>> Marlene: Yes and ABLE funds can be used for all those expenses.  For certain ‑‑ as Emily eluded to or she specified a little bit earlier, some housing‑related costs must be paid in the same month that the withdrawals are made from the ABLE account.  And she noted some of them when she was speaking.  
With regards to HOA fees and condo fees, social security clarified, in and of themselves, they're not household costs.  But some condo fees could include charges that are household costs such as garbage removal.  And if that's the case, then a portion of those expenses are housing costs, and must be paid in the same month that those funds are dispersed.  
That's kind of it in a nutshell.  They were just a lot of questions about what ABLE funds could be used for.  And a good reminder would be, they can be used for Qualified Disability Expenses or any expense which enhances the health independence or quality of life of a person with a disability, and they're used for the benefit of that individual.  
There were some questions that came in about titling of homes and titling of vehicles.  And that's something ‑‑ I think some folks may need a little legal representation on that because some of the ABLE account owners are children.  So they may want to seek legal representation about that because the funds actually are that person with a disability, their funds.  When they do age 18 or age of majority, it's a little higher in a couple of states.  If there are monies in the ABLE account, those funds would actually revert to the person with a disability unless there's a guardian involved.  So they may want to seek legal representation for something like that.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Great, thank you for that clarification.  
>> Laurie Schaller: This is Laurie.  A couple people were asking, how long our ABLE Ambassadors have owned an ABLE account.  And then over that period of time, how were they able to identify monies that they would deposit into ABLE?  
>> JODY ELLIS: Great.  So if you're able to, Edward, maybe if you want to answer first, like you could give the year that you opened yours up and kind of give your lived experience with that.  And then Emily can go afterwards.  
>> EDWARD MITCHELL: Thank you.  With me, opening up my ABLE account in 2017, because again my parents and I were looking for what kind of avenues that are out there to support me but also as they age, going forward, and upon stumbling upon ABLE accounts, I signed up, applied.  And again, visiting ABLE NRC, viewing the webinars, the Podcasts, and then becoming an ambassador really helped strengthen my knowledge and what our Qualified Disability Expenses and, again, navigating ABLE account as a whole.  
But from that, I really look at, again, with my salary, and, also, my second job working in professional sports, what can I contribute into that there but still maintain all the other obligations that I have going forward in my day‑to‑day expenses.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Great.  And Emily, if you are able to say how long you've had your ABLE account open for.  
>> EMILY MUNSON: I cannot remember the year that ABLE accounts opened for people to start depositing, but within three months of that date, I had my account up and running.  So it's been quite a while.  Like Edward, my account is primarily funded with my own income because I can only have $2,000 in my bank account, or in countable assets, and maintain my Medicaid benefits.  As of the first moment of the first day of the first month, I normally go into my bank account the week or so before the end of the month and transfer anything over $1,995 over into my ABLE account.  
I also put chunks of money in there when I used to get tax returns.  This year I didn't get any money back from the government which is which is sad.  But whenever I do get a mini wind fall, if I will, I put that in my ABLE account as well.  A bonus from work, that kind of thing.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Excellent.  And so, Marlene, I might need a little bit of your help with this, but I'll also clarify the countable assets.  
So earlier in the webinar, we mentioned that the first $100,000 of funds in an ABLE account are not a countable resource for SSI or for Medicaid or for means tested benefits programs.  In the event that an ABLE account ‑‑ the ABLE account funds go over this limit, an individual account owner is still eligible for SSI, but they would not receive SSI payment while funds were over this hundred thousand dollars mark or limit or cap.  
But the eligibility maintains, it's just the payment that gets suspended.  But the benefit itself is not terminated.  And, also, Medicaid would not be terminated if funds in an ABLE account went over $100,000.  So Marlene, I don't know if you want to add to that or if I did that answer justice.  
>> Marlene: You did it perfect, Jody.  You absolutely were correct in everything that you said.  If the ABLE account ex‑exceeds $100,000.  And as we talked earlier, $100,000 is disregarded with means programs.  We talked about that being the limit for individuals who receive a means tested benefit.  If their account ex‑exceeds $102,000 in ABLE funds, then if they're receiving SSI, the SSI payment would be temporarily suspended.  Not permanently.  They would still be carried on the social security computers.  When their account falls blow that resource ‑‑ be low that resource limit there payments can be started by social security without a new application.  Keep in mind, if someone exceeds the resource limit by non‑ABLE resources, say they have a private checking account at a local bank.  If they exceed the resource placement, they're not due a payment for that particular month until that account falls under that limit.  When security looks at funds over $100,000, they're looking at ABLE funds, plus non‑ABLE funds.  They would look at the private checking account along with the ABLE funds over $100,000.  And if it exceeds the resource limit, and non‑ABLE funds are still under that mark, pays are suspended but benefits are still eligible and Medicaid is never affected.  So that's a great benefit.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Yes, thank you.  
>> Marlene: I should have added, if someone receives Social Security Disability payments or disabled adult child benefits, or even they could be receiving retirement benefits, they could save up to the state limit without it affecting those benefits.  It's only those means tested benefits.  Just that SSI payment we're looking at.  So each state has a separate ABLE account limit.  Folks may just want to explore the limits on our website by looking at our comparison tools and seeing which state best needs their needs.  
If they would like to save more, they may want to explore the states with a higher limit.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Yeah, really good point.  And as Marlene mentioned, every state plan does have different limits, but the range is from the lowest is, I believe, $235,000, but the highest is over 596,000.  And most of the state plans are around or over 500,000.  
So if you do not have means tested benefits, the ABLE account really provides an opportunity for account owners to invest their money and to have tax free growth on their investment.  
>> Marlene: With those high limits too, I think account owners have opportunities they may not have had when they received means tested benefits because they can save now over $2,000 for a down payment or a large purchase.  We've seen Emily, she purchased a house and Edward is saving for a house and he purchased a vehicle.  And we've seen that.  We saw a video I think of Edward on YOUTUBE.  So those things were impossible years ago.  So ABLE was a game changer.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Yes, absolutely.  So we have time for one more time question if there are other questions that were raised in the Q&A.  
>> Laurie Schaller: This is Laurie.  We had a lot of questions regarding Section 8.  They have a lot of rules about what is countable income?  It's usually earned income, SSI, SSDI, maybe a person receives a pension, or a retirement payment each month.  And even though people may deposit those fun funds into their ABLE account, that is still countable income for Section 8 or HUD means tested benefit programs.  
In that sense, an ABLE account does not reduce countable income.  But if that ABLE account owner has family and friends who want to make deposits directly into ABLE, that's not countable income for that person as long as sometime in the future they use those ABLE funds to pay for Qualified Disability Expenses.  
And then we had a lot of questions about being able to purchase a home.  Like Section 8 sometimes can be used to pay for mortgage payments opposed to simply for rental costs.  And in most communities, there are first‑time home buyer programs so a person who receives, for example, SSI and/or Medicaid, if the person is participating in that plan and that plan has a special housing account, really, that agency owns that account.  The funds are deposited by that individual into the account, that's not a countable resource for that person who receives SSI and/or Medicaid because the housing program will use that money to pay directly for the mortgages, down payment, or to make a home accessible as it's being purchased.  Really, the person doesn't have access to those monies, but if that person decides they don't want to participate in that first‑time home buyer program any longer and they accept their monies back, then that is a countable resource until it's deposited into an ABLE account or maybe your trust.  
So lots of great questions.  I think we have many, many more answers about to be shared in our housing inheritance guide and our housing purchase guide.  And so two people are wandering, why are we talking so much about home purchase today?  Well, we've seen housing costs go up considerably across the United States.  And when we purchase a home, there are more opportunities for assuring costs may stay constant and we can afford that home.  And maybe it's going to be more usable for us into the future when we can make accommodations that may be needed.  
So thanks so much.  
>> JODY ELLIS: Yes, thank you, Laurie, and Marlene, for being such subjects matter experts.  This is complicated, but opening up an ABLE account is not complicated.  But there is some complications or confusion because there are different rules for the different benefits programs.  
So I appreciate you providing some clarification and that.  And Edward and Emily, thank you so much for sharing your experience around ABLE accounts.  And your savings journey.  Thank you, all, for attending today.  For taking time out of your day to spend with us learning about power of ABLE accounts, and how they can help to create housing opportunities.  
So until we connect again, the ABLE NRC team members wish you a healthy, financial journey.  Thank you.  
[End of webinar]