Since the IL ABLE “Achieving a Better Life Experience” program launched in 2017, approximately 5000 people with disabilities have saved more than $44 million in their IL ABLE Accounts.
IL ABLE Accounts make it possible for eligible people with disabilities and their families to save and invest their money for expenses related to living with a disability. Low-cost, high-quality IL ABLE Accounts can be important tools in the disability financial planning toolbox. Il ABLE Accounts can stand alone or complement a special needs trust.
Key features of IL ABLE Accounts:
Ability to build savings while preserving benefits such as SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, HUD and others.
Save up to $100,000 in an IL ABLE Account while protecting SSI benefits from the $2,000 SSI resource test. The average balance in an IL ABLE Account is $9,300!
Contribute up to $17,000 per calendar year. Working Account Owners may be able to contribute up to $13,590 more.
Roll over funds from a 529 college savings account into an IL ABLE Account of the beneficiary of the 529 college savings account or of a member of the family of the 529 college savings account beneficiary.
Earnings and withdrawals on IL ABLE Accounts are tax-free as long as the funds are used for a wide range of Qualified Disability Expensessuch as health and wellness, transportation, education, employment training and support, and more. There is no limit on frequency, or dollar amount, of withdrawals for Qualified Disability Expenses.
Anyone can contribute to an IL ABLE Account and Illinois taxpayers who contribute to any IL ABLE Account may be able to take a state income tax deduction – up to $10,000 if filing as an individual or $20,000 if filing jointly.
It is never too early to start saving and building financial wellness.
Getting started is easy - an IL ABLE Account can be opened by an Eligible Individual or Authorized Individual online at illinoisable.com anytime. (Organizations and entities that open IL ABLE Accounts as the Authorized Individual for those they serve must currently complete and submit a paper Enrollment Form, downloadable here.)
We will be welcoming Tonya Piephoff, Division of Developmental Disabilities Director, Amanda Elliot, IDHS Chief of Staff, Ryan Thomas, Chief Resident Safety Officer, and Ryan Croke, Senior Advisor for Special Projects, Office of Gov. JB Pritzker. They will be updating us on the Choate Transformation Plan and other questions Going Home Coalition members have submitted.
Please reach out to Carole Rosen, Going Home Coalition Manager, if you have any questions at carole@thearcofil.org or at 815.464.1832 x1027.
Your Advocacy Matters!
Testing an Advocacy Program for Latino Families of Transition-Aged Youth with Autism
There is testing for the feasibility and effectiveness of a 24 hour advocacy program for Spanish-speaking, Latino families of youth with autism. During the program, up to 50 families will learn about adult disability services (e.g., vocational rehabilitative services, special needs trusts, housing, Medicaid waivers, and more) as well as develop advocacy skills. You may attend the program in the fall of 2023 or the spring of 2024. The program will be delivered over zoom for 2-hour sessions over 12 weeks.
We are asking participants to:
Complete three surveys about their advocacy, knowledge of disability services, empowerment, and unmet service needs
Complete a short evaluation at the end of each session and at the end of the entire program about the program
Please consider participating in this study if you are:
(a) A parent and/or caregiver of a child (aged 12 and older with autism) (b) Older than 18 years of age and live in Illinois AND (c) Identify as Latino and Spanish-speaking
In appreciation for your time, you will receive up to three $20 giftcards for participating in this study. Specifically, you will receive $20 after completing the pre-survey and attending the first session. Participants will receive $20 after completing the post-survey and the last session. Finally, you will receive a $20 giftcard after completing the six-month follow-up survey.
For the flyer in English click here. For the flyer in Spanish, click here.
If you are interested in participating, go to the survey here:
Online future planning for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) & their families for Illinois
Are you worried about what will happen to your loved one as you get older? Do you find the process of planning for the future overwhelming?
If yes, you might be eligible to join the VFIN research study, which is testing the effectiveness of an online future planning training at the University of Illinois Chicago for adults with IDD & their families in Illinois.
The VFIN research study will randomly assign families to be part of the intervention or control group. All family caregivers and adults with IDD will complete pre- and post- tests.
Families assigned to the intervention group will receive a 6-week training with weekly 1.5 hour Zoom classes from August 7- September 11, 2023 on Mondays and two Wednesdays from 7-8:30 pm CT.
Families assigned to the control group will receive access to the self-paced materials after the post-test is completed.
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