If the symptoms of your disability were present before age 26 and your disability meets the definition of used by the Social Security Administration, you qualify to open an ABLE Account. If your disability was diagnosed after 26 but you have a written certification from a physician that it was present before age 26, you qualify to open an ABLE account.
For example, Mary is an adult with a mental health disability. Her symptoms were present during her teens, but she received her written diagnosis from a doctor when she was 28. Her doctor noted that her symptoms were present starting at age 14 and that her disability meets the Social Security definition of ABLE. Mary can open an ABLE account!
You can open an ABLE account even if you are not receiving federal means-tested benefits, such as SSI, as long as you meet the age and disability qualifications, and you have documentation for your physician.
If you are unable or uncomfortable managing your own ABLE account, an authorized individual can open and manage your account for you. To learn more visit Illinois ABLE.