FAQs

No. The primary benefit of ABLE accounts is that no federal means-tested benefits will be affected – with the exception of some special Supplemental Security Income (SSI) limitations (see below). Any funds in an ABLE account do not count for purposes of determining your eligibility for any federal means-tested benefits. Similarly, funds in your ABLE account will not affect your eligibility for Pennsylvania means-tested benefits if they are health or disability-related benefits or Pennsylvania state student financial aid.

Residents of states other than Pennsylvania should check with their state benefits agency to verify that a PA ABLE saving account will not affect their home state-based benefits.

Your SSI benefits are not affected except in two situations:

1. When the value of an ABLE account exceeds $100,000
2. When you withdraw funds for housing or Non-Qualified Expenses and do not use the money in the same month of withdrawal

In the first situation, your SSI benefits are not impacted unless your ABLE account balance exceeds $100,000, at which point any amount over $100,000 would be counted as a resource. If the excess over $100,000 in your ABLE account puts you above the SSI non-ABLE resource limit (currently $2,000), your SSI benefits will be suspended but not be terminated. The suspension will not affect Medical Assistance (Medicaid) eligibility. The suspension is lifted when your resources fall below the SSI non-ABLE resource limit.

For example, if your ABLE account has $101,000 and you have no other countable resources, your SSI will not be suspended because the excess over $100,000 is only $1,000 and does not exceed the $2,000 limit. However, if your account has $101,000 and you have $2,000 in other resources, your SSI will be suspended because the $1,000 ABLE excess plus the $2,000 in other resources is $3,000 and exceeds the $2,000 limit.

It is important to remember that only the $100,000 in your ABLE account is not counted as a resource. For example, if you have $3,000 in non-ABLE assets and $90,000 in your ABLE account, your SSI benefits may be suspended then terminated and your Medical Assistance (Medicaid) benefits might be impacted because your $3,000 in non-ABLE assets exceeds the $2,000 non-ABLE resource limit. This result could be avoided by moving $1,000 in non-ABLE assets into the ABLE account if doing so would not exceed the annual contribution limit (currently $20,000).

In the second situation, money withdrawn from your ABLE account for housing expenses or Non-Qualified Expenses may also affect your SSI benefits if you do not spend the money within the same month you make the withdrawal. For SSI purposes, housing expenses are:

• mortgage (including property insurance required by the mortgage company)
• real estate property taxes
• rent
• heating fuel
• gas
• water
• sewer
• garbage removal

For example, if you withdraw $800 from your ABLE account on June 3 for rent, you should pay that money to your landlord by June 30. As long as you do not hold housing or Non-Qualified Withdrawals over from one calendar month to the next, the funds will not affect your SSI benefits. For guidance on how the Social Security Administration will treat ABLE accounts, click here. [Note, while funds withdrawn for Non-Qualified Expenses will not affect your SSI if used in the same month they are withdrawn, there may be tax consequences for taking such a withdrawal.]

The yearly contribution limit is $20,000 (however, additional contributions may be permitted for employed Account Owners). This is a per account limit; so no matter how many people contribute, the maximum from all sources cannot exceed $20,000. There is also a maximum account value of $511,758. For details on how these amounts are determined, see the PA ABLE disclosure statement.

Yes. PA ABLE Account Owners who earn income may contribute additional funds beyond the annual $20,000 contribution limit up to a maximum annual contribution amount of $35,650 through ABLE to Work. The additional annual contribution amount is equal to the federal poverty level for a one-person household (currently $15,650) or the Account Owner's gross wages, whichever is less. Working Account Owners are not eligible to contribute the additional funds if they are already contributing to:

• a defined contribution plan
• an annuity contract
• an eligible deferred compensation plan

Any increase in contributions could impact tax obligations, so consult a tax advisor before making any such increase. Employed Account Owners who exceed the annual limit must self-certify their ABLE to Work eligibility when opening an account or in the “ABLE eligibility” section of their account settings.

Standard and ABLE to Work contributions are now tracked separately. Your standard contributions may appear over $20,000 in 2026, as a result of the July 2026 platform transition. This is not an issue as long as you have maintained eligibility for ABLE to Work contributions. You can continue to contribute via the ABLE to Work option in the account portal if you have additional earned income.

Yes. A Pennsylvania taxpayer may deduct the amount of their PA ABLE contributions, up to $19,000 per year, however due to a change in the way the annual contribution limit is calculated, the amount you can contribute to a PA ABLE account is $20,000.

Yes. First, remember to report circumstances that might affect SSI benefits to the Social Security Administration (SSA) -- this includes ABLE account activity if it could impact SSI benefits. SSA will be aware of your ABLE account activity because PA ABLE is required to report account information to the SSA monthly, including the account value and withdrawals.

Second, gifts to SSI recipients can impact the recipient’s benefits. To avoid any potential impact, gifts can be made directly to the recipient’s ABLE account.

Third, income from the SSI recipient’s work is considered countable income even if it is directly deposited by the employer into the recipient’s ABLE account.

Yes. Account Owners can roll over 529 accounts to ABLE plans, up to the ABLE annual contribution limit (currently $20,000). Please note that you may process a rollover from a 529 account into a PA ABLE account owned by you or a member of your family (as defined in the PA 529 GSP and PA 529 IP disclosure statements) and funds must be received within 60 days of the withdrawal to avoid tax consequences.

Yes. An ABLE account can be transferred, without tax consequence, if the new Beneficiary is a sibling of the old Beneficiary and is eligible to have an ABLE account. The annual contribution limit restricts the amount placed in the new Beneficiary’s account.

You can use your account to pay for Qualified Disability Expenses. An expense is “qualified” if:

You incurred the expense at a time when you were considered an Eligible Individual (see “Eligibility” above);

1. The expense relates to your disability.
2. The expense does not need to be “medically necessary”, nor does it need to be for the sole benefit of the Eligible Individual.

If you use your account for any Non-Qualified Expenses, there are likely to be tax consequences. You may need to pay federal and state income tax on any growth your contributions earned, plus an additional 10% federal tax on that growth. Additionally, the Non-Qualified funds you withdraw could affect your eligibility for means-tested benefits programs, like Medical Assistance (Medicaid) or SSI.

PA ABLE does not require documentation of how you are using your ABLE account, however you should maintain accurate records for tax purposes.

You can make withdrawals online, by phone, with a debit card or checks (if applicable), or with a Withdrawal Request form.

If you make a withdrawal from a PA ABLE account, you will receive the IRS Form 1099-QA, detailing all of the withdrawals you made throughout the tax year from your account. This statement reports withdrawals from your PA ABLE account in the prior calendar year. You only receive a 1099-QA form if you withdrew funds from or closed your PA ABLE account during the tax year.

To ensure that you properly handle matters on your federal income tax return, please consult a tax advisor and learn more about Form 1099-QA from the IRS directly.

The plan administrator must send the 1099-QA by January 31, so you should receive the form no later than early February following the end of the tax year. You will receive it via mail or electronic delivery based on communication preferences.

If you make a contribution to your PA ABLE account, you will receive IRS Form 5498-QA, which is a tax form that details all of the contributions you made throughout the tax year to your account. This form reports PA ABLE account contributions, rollovers and direct program-to-program transfers in the prior year.

To ensure that you properly handle matters on your federal income tax return, please consult a tax advisor and learn more about Form 5498-QA from the IRS directly.

The plan administrator must send the 5498-QA by March 15, so you should receive the form no later than the end of March following the end of the tax year. You will receive it via mail or electronic delivery based on communication preferences.

Keep this tax form with your records for future reference. You're not required to file it with your tax return.

An Eligible Individual who is an adult with legal capacity to enter into contracts can open the account for themselves but may also choose to have any other person open and manage the account (“Authorized Individual”).

If the Eligible Individual is a minor or an adult without the legal capacity to enter into contracts, accounts must be opened by an Authorized Individual from the list below in this order of priority:

Organizations that manage the finances or supports clients with disabilities may be able to enroll as an Organizational Authorized Individuals. 

Yes, as long as the individual meets the eligibility requirements for an account. Please note, however, PA ABLE accounts only protect assets and any work income may affect eligibility for certain benefits, including Social Security Income (SSI).

No, you do not have to be receiving disability benefits to be eligible for a PA ABLE account.

Being entitled to disability benefits (Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income) based on a disability that began before your 46th birthday are just two ways a person may be eligible. Please note, if you are entitled to either of these benefits, you do not need to actually be receiving benefits.

You may also self-certify that you have a similarly severe disability that began before your 46th birthday by indicating that:

1. You have a Qualifying Disability. Meaning that you are (1) blind, within the meaning of the Social Security Act, or (2) have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which results in marked and severe functional limitations, and has lasted or is expected to last 12 continuous months or result in death; and
2. Your Qualifying Disability began before your 46th birthday; and
3. You have a written diagnosis related to your disability that is signed by a physician who meets Social Security Act criteria.

Additional guidance and examples of conditions that result in "marked and severe functional limitations" can be found in the Social Security Administration's disability Blue Book.

If your impairment is included in the list of Compassionate Allowance Conditions, you do not need to have a written diagnosis signed by a physician.

To see if you or another person may be eligible take our Eligibility Quiz.

No. Residents of all states can open a PA ABLE account, however PA ABLE provides Pennsylvania residents some exclusive benefits.

No. But you should keep documentation in case you are asked for it by a federal or state agency. For example, you could be audited by the Internal Revenue Service and asked to provide documentation.

Because your disability status may change, you must be eligible each year you have an account. If your condition ever changes so that you would no longer be eligible for an account you must notify PA ABLE. PA ABLE will assume that your eligibility continues until you notify PA ABLE of any change.

You can keep your account open in case your condition later worsens and you become eligible again. However, additional contributions cannot be made to your account and any withdrawals you make while you are ineligible will be considered “Non-Qualified.”

For accounts with a Successor Account Owner    

That person will become owner of the PA ABLE account in the event of the current Account Owner’s death.           

For accounts without a Successor Account Owner

Account funds will become part of the deceased Account Owner’s estate. Please remember that PA ABLE accounts can be used to pay for any outstanding Qualified Disability Expenses after the Account Owner’s death, including funeral and burial expenses, before remaining account funds become part of the deceased individual’s estate.

Once account funds become part of the deceased individual’s estate, any growth on the contributions will be subject to income tax but not the 10% additional tax applicable to Non-Qualified Withdrawals. For this reason, it usually will be best to pay any outstanding Qualified Disability Expenses, including funeral and burial expenses, from the ABLE account, which will be tax free, before the assets are transferred to the estate.

When the primary beneficiary dies, the person designated as the successor beneficiary becomes the primary beneficiary on the PA ABLE account. A successor for a PA ABLE account must be a sibling, step-sibling, or half-sibling of the account owner and must also qualify for an PA ABLE account. A successor must be added to the account before the death of the primary beneficiary.

PA ABLE offers seven Risk-Based Investment Options with a range of risk levels so you can invest according to your personal strategy. We also offer nine Target-Year Investment Options. Target-Year Investment Options offer the ability to easily select an investment based on when the saver anticipates needing funds.

PA ABLE accounts are free to open and have an annual fee of $17 ($4.25 per quarter)if you select e-delivery of quarterly statements and account confirmations. For paper delivery, the annual fee is $37 ($9.25 per quarter).

Additional asset-based fees for the Asset-Allocation Options currently range from 0.00% to 0.25% depending on the option(s) selected.

Any person (including you, your friends, and your family members), business, employer, trust, corporation, or other legal entity can contribute to your account.

You can contribute to your PA ABLE account using fast, secure direct deposits from either the Social Security Administration or your paycheck.

Follow these steps to set up your recurring contributions:

1. Log in to your account and click on “Direct deposit” on the Total Balance tile.
2. Enter your information and retrieve your direct deposit details — including a unique routing and account number.
3. Complete the process by:
1. Payroll Direct Deposit: Providing your employer with the direct deposit details, the same as you would with your own checking or savings account.
2. Federal Benefit Direct Deposit: Updating your direct deposit details with the SSA. If you are receiving SSI benefits, you will need to update your direct deposit details by phone at 800-772-1213 (for TTY call 800-325-0778) or by visiting your local Social Security Administration office.

The first Savings Boosters available is the Weather Savings Booster. When you opt in, you can make an automatic contribution to your account every time there's greater than a 50% chance of rain, hail, sleet, or snow predicted in your location according to weather.gov.*

Follow these steps to set up your recurring contributions:

1. Create or sign into your account.
2. Click the "Transfers" link at the top of the page.
3. In the Contributions section, select “Weather Savings Booster” along with how much you'd like to contribute.

Saving for a rainy day can help you reach your financial goals and develop good savings habits. Stay tuned for new Savings Boosters in the future for more fun and unique ways to grow your account.

*We do not guarantee that contributions will be made during each forecasted weather event when Savings Boosters are enabled on your account. The feature relies on data which is provided to us by third-party services unaffiliated with Vestwell which is inherently subject to change. Savers should always diligently check their portal to confirm all account activity.

Requesting gift contributions from family and friends is a great way to help you reach your savings goals and it couldn’t be easier. Just sign in to your account to find your gifting page information and share your unique gifting link. You’ll be able to customize your page and select where you would like the gifted funds to go. When you’re ready, just share your unique gifting link directly with friends and family, or even on social media.

Note, gift contributions can be made online for as little as $5 or as much as $20,000 per transaction.

You may also purchase a PA ABLE gift card for a special occasion or easily redeem a gift card into your PA ABLE account. Through our partnership with Gift of College^®, family and friends can securely contribute to a PA ABLE account.

Keep in mind that gift contributions count toward your annual contribution limit. So, if you’ve already reached the limit, your page will remain public, but no one can contribute again until next year.

Adding an additional bank account is simple. Once you’re logged in to your PA ABLE account dashboard, find the “Bank Accounts” section in your “Settings” and click on “Add a new bank account.” Follow the steps to connect a new bank account associated with either the name of the account owner or the Authorized Individual of the ABLE account. Keep in mind that it is necessary to verify the information provided for security purposes and you will not be able to withdraw money from the new bank account for 10 business days.

If you’re an Authorized Individual of more than one PA ABLE account, you can use the same banking information for multiple accounts, as long as you own or are the Authorized Individual on those PA ABLE accounts. Otherwise, each account owner can use one or more bank accounts in their own name, or the name of their Authorized Individual.

To connect a bank account to your PA ABLE account, first log in to your online dashboard, then go to the “Settings” tab and click “Bank Accounts”. Follow the steps to link a new bank account by connecting via Plaid or manually adding an account. If you manually add a bank account, you will be required to upload a voided check or statement as part of the process.

Keep in mind that you won’t be able to withdraw money to a newly added bank account immediately. There is a 5-day withdrawal hold on banks added via Plaid and a 10-day withdrawal hold on manually added bank accounts.

It’s easy to make withdrawals from your PA ABLE account online. You can withdraw as little as $5 each time and transfer that money into any bank account linked to your PA ABLE account. If you have more than one investment option, you can decide which investment option you’d like to pull money from. You can also make this request using our Withdrawal Request form.

Transfers or withdrawals to your bank account take 2–4 business days and check requests take up to 7–10 business days. Any money withdrawn from your account should be used for qualified expenses. Earnings on non-qualified withdrawals are subject to federal and state income taxes and may be subject to a 10% federal penalty tax.

If you request a withdrawal of your full account balance, your account will remain open and active, but the balance will be $0 until you make a contribution. To close the account for good, please contact us. We may also close your account automatically if it remains at $0 for an extended period of time.

PA ABLE Visa^® Prepaid Card Withdrawals

For existing PA ABLE Visa Prepaid Card customers, funding scheduled before 4 pm PT on a business day will be available on the card the next business day. For new Prepaid Card customers, funding times may vary while the account is being set up. It may take up to 5 business days for the full amount of requested funds to be available on the card.

1. Log in to your account.
2. Click the "Transfers" link at the top of the page.
3. In the Contributions Type section, select “Recurring” for the contribution type.
4. Select the frequency from these options: "Monthly," “Twice a month,” and “Yearly.”
5. Select the “Day of the month” you’d like to make the contribution.

You can securely link your account in the online portal and make adjustments to your contributions as needed. Plus, you can contribute as little as $1 each time.

In addition to standard recurring contributions, you can also set up automatic payroll direct deposits from the same "Transfers" menu. These payments come directly out of your paycheck, after taxes, and go into your PA ABLE account.

Our Weather Savings Booster feature offers another opportunity to save—one that will have you watching for when it rains, sleets, or snows. If there's more than a 50% chance of precipitation in your area, an automatic contribution will be made to your account.

It’s easy to contribute to your PA ABLE account. You can make online contributions at any time and set up recurring monthly transfers for as little as $1 each time when you connect your bank account. You can also set up payroll direct deposits through your employer.

If you prefer to do things offline, you can mail in contributions via check using our Contribution Form (PDF). And if you’d like to make a gift contribution to someone’s PA ABLE account, you can use our Gift Contribution Form (PDF) or contribute through the account’s unique gifting page.

If you need to edit or remove your account’s automatic contributions, simply sign into your account, click the “Transfers” link at the top of the page, and then select “Manage recurring.” You can delete or edit your existing recurring contributions from this dashboard, including adjustments to the amount, the day of the month the contribution is being made, where the contribution is coming from, and more. You can also choose if you'd like to auto-increase your contribution at the start of each year to boost your savings. Multiple recurring contributions can be added and managed from this same dashboard.

Making a withdrawal is easy, however in some cases there are restrictions on how soon you can access the funds in your PA ABLE account.

Standard contributions made by check, electronic funds transfer (EFT) or ACH will be accessible for withdrawal approximately five business days after the deposit. Contributions from third parties and gifts will be held for approximately five to ten business days as part of our verification process.

For security purposes, longer holds (up to 15 business days) are placed on distribution requests when any of the following occur:

• Initial enrollment in a PA ABLE account
• Change of banking information for account (10 business days)
• Change of address for account (15 business days)

When you create a PA ABLE account, you'll have a chance to choose which investment options you want to contribute to. Review your investment options here to see what's available.

There are two ways to change your account's investment options:

1. You can transfer your funds from one investment option(s) and invest the money in different investment options. However, this is considered an investment exchange, which you can only do twice in a calendar year. If you'd like to go this route, sign into your account and click on the "Investments" link, or make the change offline by downloading our Investment Option Change Form (PDF).
2. Alternatively, you can keep your current investment option(s) and simply redirect future contributions into a new investment option. This way you can make adjustments to your account over time without selling any of your investments outright. Plus, you can do this as often as you like without the limit of two investment changes per year. Contribute to a different investment option online by signing into your account and clicking on the "Transfers" link, or do it offline by downloading our Contribution Form (PDF).

To find your account number, log in to your PA ABLE account, click on the Account Owner’s name (if you have more than one), go to “Settings” on the upper right side of the page, select “Account Information,” then click "Show" next to “Account Number.” Other information specific to the Account Owner and their account can be found and customized from the same account dashboard.

You can update the address of either an Account Owner or an Authorized Individual through your online dashboard under the Settings menu.

Generally, an address change to an PA ABLE account will not affect the operation of your account. However, all check withdrawals requested with the Withdrawal Form or by calling customer service will experience a hold of 15 business days for security purposes. Withdrawals made online will not be affected.

If you would like to manage multiple PA ABLE accounts for different beneficiaries (i.e. an ABLE account for yourself and your child), you can add a new account in two ways.

Go to the PA ABLE home page to sign up for a new PA ABLE account. During the first step of registration there will be a link to sign in. Log in and follow the steps to create a PA ABLE account for the new Account Owner.

Logged in, from the dashboard of your account on a desktop or mobile device:

In the upper right corner of the screen, or in the navigation on mobile, find the link that says, “Add account.” Click it and follow the steps to create a new ABLE account.

Once you log in to your PA ABLE account dashboard, select “Security Center” from the dropdown menu next to your profile icon in the upper right corner of the screen. You can also go to your profile and select the “Open Security Center” button next to login settings. From here, you can make any changes to your account that have to do with your login credentials.

All PA ABLE accounts require multi-factor authentication (authenticator app or phone number) to ensure the security of their account. If you do not want to download an authenticator app, you can provide your phone number to receive a security code by either voice call or SMS text message. However, an authentication app is the recommended method.

If you already have an PA ABLE account, download the Vestwell app for iOS or Android and take your account with you on the go. You can make contributions, withdraw funds, share reload your prepaid card, and more. Download the app today and log in using your PA ABLE username and password.

You can easily find your unique gifting link to share, customize your goal, update your allocation choices, and view gifting activity online at any time.

1. Log in to your account
2. Click on the Gifting tile in the bottom left corner of your account dashboard

If you would like to turn off your gifting page, click “Edit” next to “Annual gifting limit” and toggle off the slider button that says “Your gifting page is live”.

1. Go to the unique gifting page and click on “Make a contribution.”
2. Check the box to “Create a gifting profile.”
3. Enter your banking details and information as usual.
4. Create a login after completing your gift, and verify your email.

Yes, you can set up recurring gift contributions by following the steps below.

1. Sign in to your gifting profile.
2. Select the recipient you would like to send a gift to.
3. Choose the amount and frequency you would like your recurring gifts to be.
4. Review and complete your gift.

This depends on each person or family’s individual circumstances and the type of special needs trust. Factors to consider can include expenses associated with establishing each, tax benefits, limits on contributions or permitted uses, Medical Assistance (Medicaid) repayment claims and account control.

An additional consideration is that some special needs trust must be used for the “sole benefit” of the Beneficiary while there is no such restriction on the use of ABLE accounts. In addition, a person can have a special needs trust and an ABLE account. For additional details, you may wish to consult a tax or legal professional.

Under federal law, if the Beneficiary received Medical Assistance (Medicaid), the state that provided the Medical Assistance (Medicaid) is permitted to file a claim seeking repayment from the ABLE account in an amount up to the amount of Medical Assistance (Medicaid) provided during the time the beneficiary had an ABLE account. However, under Pennsylvania law, the Department of Human Services (DHS), the state agency responsible for administering Medical Assistance (Medicaid), may not file a claim against a PA ABLE account.

Once the assets in the PA ABLE account have been transferred to the estate, DHS may then seek repayment from the estate. In Pennsylvania, DHS may seek repayment from the estate of the deceased Account Owner only if the deceased was 55 or older and only for Medical Assistance (Medicaid) consisting of nursing facility services, home and community-based services, and related hospital and prescription drug services paid once the Account Owner turned 55. Repayment is postponed if the deceased has a surviving spouse, child under 21, or disabled child of any age.

If you need help updating your PA ABLE account settings or finding your account number, contact us. 

For help updating your direct deposit information with the SSA, you can reach out to their team here. 

Complete the setup process in three simple steps: 

1. Log in to your account and click on “Direct Deposit” on the Total Balance tile. Or, once logged in, go to “Transfers > Direct Deposit.”
2. Enter your information and retrieve your direct deposit details that can be provided to the SSA — including a unique routing and account numbers.
3. Enroll and enter your unique routing and account number with the Social Security Administration. If you are receiving SSI benefits, you will need to update your direct deposit details by phone at 800-772-1213 (for TTY call 800-325-0778) or by visiting your local Social Security Administration office.