If you get public benefits, it is especially hard to think about building assets for the future, because you probably don't have much income. Furthermore, programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Food Assistance have resource limits that make it hard to save money. However, there are ways of building your assets, even if you are on public benefits and have low income.

Building your assets means accumulating wealth by saving money or investing it. Building assets can include putting money into the bank, buying stocks, putting money into a retirement account, or buying a home. It’s important to build your assets, because assets help you:

• Become financially secure and more independent
• Cope with unexpected expenses that may come up, and
• Achieve your goals, like paying for school, going on vacation, buying a computer, starting a business, or owning a home.

Try making saving a priority, even if it's hard for you.

Financial Literacy

"Financial literacy" means having a general understanding of money management, including things like budgeting and financial planning. Over time, financial literacy can help you do big things, like pay for college, buy a house, or have money during old age. It can also help you stay away from scams and be ready for unexpected expenses and difficult life events.

Financial literacy is especially important for people with disabilities, because they:

• Often have to spend more on everyday activities
• Often have high medical costs, and
• May get public benefits that have rules and restrictions about money and assets.

If you have a disability and that began before you turned 26 and meets the Social Security Administration's (SSA's) disability standards, you can open an ABLE account. An ABLE account is a financial account that can help you:

• Build assets in an account that has tax advantages. Your investments in an ABLE account won’t be taxed, so your wealth will grow faster. Plus, If you work and save earned income in your ABLE account, you may qualify for the federal Saver’s Credit.
• Use your savings on many types of expenses. There are rules about spending the money in your ABLE account, but there’s also a lot of flexibility.
• Save up money without losing benefits. Many benefits programs have resource limits, but:
  • You can have up to $100,000 in your ABLE account and keep getting Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, as long as you meet all other SSI rules. If you go over $100,000, SSI benefits will stop, but they will start up again if your ABLE account drops back below $100,000 and you won't have to reapply.
  • For Medicaid and Food Assistance, the money in your account will not affect your benefits, no matter how much you have.
  • The money in your ABLE account may not be counted for some other benefits. Check with program representatives to make sure.

The bottom line: An ABLE account means that you can save up money without losing your benefits. It also lets family and friends give you money without affecting your benefits.

Note: After you die, money in your ABLE account may be used to pay back the Medicaid program. Look into third-party Special Needs Trusts if this is an issue for your family.

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Opening an ABLE Account

There are a few main rules for opening an ABLE account:

• You can only open an account through a state-designated program or institution.
  • Ohio's ABLE account program is STABLE.
  • You can choose to open an account in another state’s ABLE program.
• You can only open one ABLE account. (You cannot open accounts in more than one state.)
• You must have a disability that qualifies for an ABLE account and that began before you turned 26.
  • You can be more than 26 years old when you open your account – all that matters is when your disability began.

You can only have an account if you have a disability. However, another person, such as a parent or guardian, can help manage the account.

Comparing State ABLE Programs

Some states offer ABLE accounts and others don’t. Ohio's ABLE account program is STABLE. Even if your state has an ABLE program, you should compare different state ABLE account programs to see which state’s program is best for you.

When you compare ABLE programs, think about these questions:

• How easy is it to put money in the account and take money out for qualifying expenses? For example, does it come with a debit card?
• How good is customer support? Try calling the program to see whether it seems helpful.
• What investments does it offer? Each state program offers different investment options. Choose a program that offers investments matching your needs.
• What fees does the program charge? There may be fees for opening the account and for keeping money in it.
• Does the program offer any extra benefits for people living in your state? For example, some state programs offer extra tax benefits for residents of that state.

Note: You can switch your ABLE account from one state program to another. You do not have to stick with the state program you choose.

Compare the ABLE account options in different states.

Rules on Depositing Money in an ABLE Account

There are two limits on how much can be put in an ABLE account in a calendar year:

• Up to $19,000 from any source (including your family and friends, your benefits, and other unearned income
• Another $15,060 from your own earned income (if you have a job).
  • Note: If you or your employer make contributions to a retirement plan set up by your employer, you might not qualify for the extra ABLE contribution amount based on having a job (you can still make regular ABLE contributions). If you aren't sure about this, ask your ABLE account program or check with a tax expert. Get more information about this rule from the ABLE National Resource Center.

Note: This means that if you earn $15,060 or more, you could have a total of up to $34,060 go into your ABLE account in a year. If you earn less than $15,060, the amount you could contribute would be lower.

Important: You need to keep good records, to make sure that too much money isn’t put into your account.

State ABLE programs also have limits on the total amount in your account — typically $200,000 to $500,000, depending on the state. For example, a state program might say that if you have $400,000 in your ABLE account, you cannot deposit any more money.

Rules on Spending Money in an ABLE Account

The money in an ABLE account has to be used for certain qualifying expenses, like:

• Daily living expenses
• Education
• Housing
• Transportation
• Help getting and keeping work
• Health care
• Assistive technology
• Legal fees
• Financial management fees, and
• Other approved expenses.

Many expenses qualify. For example, your rent, electric bill, and furniture are housing expenses. Gasoline and car repairs are transportation expenses. Health insurance premiums and copayments count as health care. Lunch at a restaurant, toothpaste, and toilet paper are daily living expenses.

Keep receipts whenever you use your ABLE account to pay for a qualifying expense. If you are audited by the IRS, you’ll need to show them how you’ve used your money. You can put all of the receipts into a binder or scan them and save them on your computer.

How Spending Works

An ABLE program may offer a debit card that is linked to the account. If so, you can use the debit card whenever you pay for a qualifying expense. For things like rent, you may need to write checks or withdraw cash from the account instead. You don't need authorization to spend your money: it's your job to make sure your expense qualifies and to keep records of how use your ABLE account.

If you withdraw cash from an ABLE account, spend it on your qualifying expense. Don’t just hold onto the money or put it in a normal bank account – if you don’t spend the money, it could be counted as a resource for benefits programs. For example, if you take $3,500 out of an ABLE account and put it into a regular checking account instead of spending it, you will go over the resource limit for SSI.

As long as the money stays in the ABLE account, it won’t affect your benefits, so leave your money there until you need to spend it.

Learn more about ABLE accounts.

If you save money in an Individual Development Account (IDA), the IDA program’s sponsor or financial institution will match the money you save. The match may be anywhere from one to four times the amount you deposit. For example, if your IDA program has a 2:1 match and you deposit $50 into your account, the program will add an additional $100 towards your savings goal, so that your total savings for that month will be $150!

Note: There aren't as many IDA programs as there used to be. Some are still active, but it can take a bit of effort to find one that is accepting applications.

To open an IDA:

• Your annual income must be 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or less ($31,300 per year for individuals)
• You must have earned income from a job or your own business
• You have to take financial literacy classes about things like money, debt reduction, developing a savings plan, credit, and investing; and
• Depending on the program, you may also need to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

You also have to use the IDA to save money towards meeting an approved goal. IDA programs usually allow the following goals:

• Buying a first home
• Paying for education or training costs, or
• Funding a small business.

Most IDA programs only let you save a limited amount of money in your account, usually $4,000 to $6,000. This includes the money you deposit plus the matching funds. Once you reach the limit, you won’t be allowed to deposit any more money into the account. IDA programs also limit how long you can save (usually three years).

Finding and Applying for an IDA

Once you’ve decided to do an IDA, you must take several steps to enroll in an IDA program:

1. Decide how much money you plan to save and what you are going to do with it. You could use the money for something that will help you with your education, with your small business, or with buying a home.
2. Locate an IDA program in your area. There are good IDA program directories at the Ohio CDC Association, Prosperity Now, and the Assets for Independence Resource Center (AFI).

   • Note: There aren't as many IDA programs as there used to be. Some are still active, but it can take a bit of effort to find one that is accepting applications.

3. Find out as much as you can about the IDA program you are considering.
   • What is the source of the program’s funding? Is it federally funded?
     • If the IDA program is federally funded, money deposited and matched in that account will not be counted by SSI or Medicaid. That means it will not impact your benefits.
     • If you enroll in an IDA that is not funded by the federal government (for example, an IDA funded by a nonprofit or private company), money deposited and matched in your IDA may jeopardize your SSI and Medicaid benefits.
   • Does the program fund the goal you decided upon?
     • Federally funded programs only allow you to save for small business developments, higher education expenses, and the purchase of a first home.
     • Some privately funded IDAs may allow you to save for other goals, like buying a new computer or car.
4. Once you have found an IDA program that is suitable for you, attend an orientation meeting to learn more about it.
5. If you decide to enroll, give the required personal and financial information to verify you qualify for the program.

Once you have been accepted into the IDA program, you will be given an IDA caseworker who will help you with your account. You’ll open a savings account with a bank or credit union that is tied to your IDA program. Depending on the program, you may need to deposit a certain amount of money into your account each month.

IDAs and Benefits Programs

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Because SSI has income limits and resource limits, working and saving money in an IDA could risk your eligibility. Generally, IDA programs that are federally funded will not impact your benefits. Talk to a benefits planner about this before doing an IDA program.

Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS)

PASS is an SSI program that lets you set aside money for a specified work goal, such as starting a new career or going back to school. The money you set aside in a PASS does not count against SSI's income and resource limits. Learn more about Plans to Achieve Self-Support.

An IDA can be a part of your PASS, as long as your goal for the IDA and PASS is the same. If the money you save in your IDA is part of a PASS, it will not be counted by SSI and won’t jeopardize those benefits.

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

The EITC is a federal tax program that lowers income taxes for low- to moderate-income workers and families. Money you get from an EITC can be put into an IDA and matched, helping you to reach your savings goal faster. Learn more about the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS)

Usually, if you get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and have income from a job or from another benefits program, like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), your SSI benefits amount will go down. Also, if you save up too much money in a bank account or build your assets in any other way, you could lose your SSI benefits because you have more than the resource limit ($2,000 if you’re single, $3,000 for couples).

Social Security’s Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) program lets people who get SSI earn more money and save that money in a special type of account. There are two main benefits:

• You can save up resources without losing your SSI benefits.
• The income you put into your PASS won’t be counted as income by SSI, so it won't make your benefits amount go down.

The money that you save has to be used for a work-related goal you choose, such as:

• The cost of school or training
• Starting a business, or
• Paying for equipment, support services, and other expenses related to your goal.

Note: If you already go to college or have a job, you can set up a PASS to help pay for your current work, school, or health expenses.

Applying for a PASS

To set up a PASS, you must:

• Get SSI benefits or become eligible for SSI benefits as a result of an approved PASS application.
• Have a source of income other than SSI (for example, SSDI benefits or wages from a job) or have resources over $2,000 that you can use to fund your PASS.
• Choose a work goal that will help you earn enough money to lower your SSI benefits or get off SSDI benefits altogether.
• Write a plan that shows how saving a certain amount of money will let you reach your work goal. Social Security’s PASS Cadre can help you write your plan.
• Be under age 65. If you are 65 or older, you may be able to set up a PASS if you were getting SSI benefits based on disability or blindness in the month before your 65^th birthday.

On the PASS application form, you must describe your goals and how you plan to achieve them. This description should be detailed enough to convince Social Security that:

• You have a clear plan
• The plan is realistic, and
• If you complete the plan, your need for SSI benefits will go down or you won't have to get SSDI at all.

If you do not yet have a clear goal or way to achieve it, consider working on one with an organization like the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR) or an Employment Network (EN) through the Ticket to Work program.

Using a PASS

After Social Security approves your plan, they'll send you detailed instructions about how to keep good records and make sure your PASS funds and expenses are separate from your other money. Follow these rules carefully.

If a medical situation or some other issue comes up that impacts your ability to continue your PASS, talk to your PASS Cadre about your options. You may be allowed to put your PASS on hold for up to 12 months without having to re-apply.

Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program

The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program helps families who get help with their rent from programs funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

It helps families whose income goes up because of work. When the family income goes up and the program starts paying less for rent, the FSS program takes the money that it saves on rent and sets that money aside for the family. The family can use these savings for purchases, such as the down payment on a home or a car.

The FSS program can help people who get help from programs like:

• Public housing
• The Section 8 housing choice voucher program
• Section 8 project-based rental assistance
• Some other project-based housing programs, and
• Some special purpose vouchers, including Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH), Family Unification Program (FUP), Foster Youth to Independence (FYI), and Mainstream.

Check with your public housing authority (PHA) or with the administrator of your housing program to see if the FSS can help you. Learn more about the FSS program.

Tax credits can help you save money and build assets. A few important credits include:

• The Child Tax Credit (CTC)
• The Credit for the Elderly or Disabled, and
• The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

To get any of these tax credits, you must file your taxes!

Child Tax Credit (CTC)

The Child Tax Credit (CTC) gives parents with children under age 17 up to a $2,000 tax credit for each child. Eligible families must be working and earning at least $2,500 a year.

Note: If you're on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and get money from a CTC, you should spend it within 12 months. After 12 months, Social Security will count that money toward SSI's resource limit.

Credit for the Elderly or Disabled

If you or your spouse is a U.S. citizen who got taxable disability income and was permanently and totally disabled during this tax year, you may be eligible for the Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled.

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

If you have low income, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) may help lower your federal income taxes. Even if you don’t earn enough money to owe federal income taxes, you may be able to get this tax credit. Many people who qualify for an EITC don’t get it, because they don’t know they could or they don't file their taxes.

Eligibility

To qualify, you must have income from employment, self-employment, or employer-paid disability benefits that is below certain limits and you must file your taxes.

The amount you get from your EITC depends on your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), whether you are married, and the number of children you have. For 2025 (filing taxes by April 2026), the EITC ranges from $2 to $8,046.

Earned Income

To qualify for an EITC, you or your spouse must have earned income, such as wages, salaries, tips, net earnings from self-employment, or any other form of taxable pay. You can also include nontaxable combat pay as earned income.

For the EITC, employer-paid disability payments that you get before retirement count as earned income. Benefits from a policy you paid the premiums for or that you got after retirement do not count as earned income.

Other things that do not qualify as earned income for the EITC include:

• Interest and dividends
• Social Security and railroad retirement benefits
• Pensions and annuities
• Alimony and child support
• Workers’ compensation benefits
• Unemployment compensation
• Welfare benefits
• Veterans benefits

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)

Your adjusted gross income must be below certain levels to qualify for an EITC. Adjusted gross income includes all earned income before deductions for taxes, health care, or other expenses, minus certain business, education-related, and other expenses. While filling out your annual tax return (IRS Form 1040), you will be asked a series of questions that will help you figure out what your adjusted gross income is.

Qualifying Children

A child must meet some requirements to be considered a “qualifying child” for an EITC:

• Relationship: The child must be your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a descendant of any of these (for example, your grandchild, niece, or nephew).
• Residence: The child must live at the same residence as you for more than half the year and have a valid Social Security number.
• Age: At the end of the tax year, the child must be 18 or younger. Or, if going to school full-time, the child must be 23 or younger. The only exception is if your child is permanently and totally disabled, in which case there is no age requirement.

A qualifying child can only be listed on one tax return for an EITC.

How to Get an EITC

To claim an EITC, you must file a federal tax return, IRS Form 1040. If you have a qualifying child, be sure to attach a Schedule EIC.

To calculate the value of your EITC, you can use the Earned Income Credit Worksheet in your 1040 instruction booklet. Or you can ask the IRS to calculate it for you by noting an “EIC” on the Earned Income Credit line on your tax return.

To see whether you qualify for an EITC and how much you might get, use the IRS EITC Assistant.

Tax Preparation Tips for Claiming the EITC

Keep all your W-2 forms and keep a record of who you have worked for during the year. Then, file your taxes, even if your income is low enough that you don't have to file — you can only get a tax credit if you file your taxes. Many families with children who qualify for an EITC also qualify for a Child Tax Credit (CTC).

A trust is a legal arrangement in which a person or organization manages assets for someone else. The trust's assets can then be used to make payments for that person's expenses. The person whose expenses are paid for by a trust is called the “beneficiary” and the person or organization who is managing the assets is the “trustee.” Many kinds of assets can be put into a trust, such as cash, stocks, bonds, and real estate.

Some kinds of trusts, called Special Needs Trusts, can be set up to hold assets for a person with a disability. When in a Special Needs Trust, the assets do not affect the person's eligibility for programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, and Section 8. That means that if you are the beneficiary of a Special Needs Trust, your trust can have more assets in it than the resource limits for benefits programs usually allow. This can let you be in a more secure financial situation without losing your benefits. For more details, see Social Security's information about Special Needs Trusts and SSI eligibility.

You or the person setting up the trust for you must do so correctly. If your Special Needs Trust is not set up correctly, the assets in your trust might be counted toward public benefits resource limits and you could lose your public benefits.

Special Needs Trust Rules

While public benefits, such as SSI, Medicaid, and HUD housing benefits, offer basic support for food, shelter, and medical care, a Special Needs Trust can be used to pay for other things. For example, money from the trust could be used to pay for your recreation expenses, telephone bill, education, and vacations. Money from a Special Needs Trust cannot be used for expenses that are already paid for by one of your public benefits.

Additionally, the funds in a Special Needs Trust must be used to benefit only you; no one else can benefit from that trust. That said, while the trust is set up to help you, payments should not be made directly to you. Payments made directly to you count as income and may affect your benefits. When you need to pay a provider for something that is not food or shelter, the trustee will pay the money from the trust directly to the provider. Only the trustee can handle the money from the trust.

First Party Special Needs Trusts, Pooled Special Needs Trusts, and Third Party Special Needs Trusts are three common types of trust. They each have their advantages and disadvantages and the right type for you depends on your specific circumstances.

First Party Special Needs Trusts (Medicaid Payback Trusts)

First Party Special Needs Trusts, often called Medicaid Payback Trusts, are used if you have accumulated assets, inherited assets, or gotten assets from a court settlement. In these situations, you actually own the money.

It used to be that people with disabilities were not allowed to set up their own First Party Special Needs Trust, even though it was their own money. A parent, grandparent, guardian, or court had to set up the trust, the trustee controlled the funds, and you could not be your own trustee. The laws changed in 2016, and this type of trust can now be set up by you, or by your parent, grandparent, legal guardian, or the court.

To qualify, you must be under 65 years old and must have a disability as defined by Social Security. If you do not meet Social Security’s definition of disability, you cannot have this type of trust.

The trust has to specify that after you die, any money left in the trust will be used to pay back the state for the amount of money it spent on Medicaid for you after the trust was set up. If money is still left over after the state has been paid, it can be given to whomever you tell the trustee you want it to be given.

Pooled Special Needs Trusts

This type of trust pools assets from different people and puts them into a large investment fund. Although the funds are pooled (used together), you still have your own separate account. Pooled Trusts offer both First Party accounts (funded with only your own money) and Third Party accounts (funded only with money from other people). As with a First Party Special Needs Trust, all beneficiaries of a Pooled Special Needs Trust must have a disability that meets Social Security's standards.

A Pooled Special Needs Trust is set up through a nonprofit organization. The nonprofit organization will administer the Pooled Special Needs Trust, take care of all the tax preparation, make investment decisions, and act as the trustee.

Before the Pooled Special Needs Trust is set up, you or your family members must explain what you want the trust to pay for and who should be consulted about these matters. Anyone can put money into the Pooled Special Needs Trust for you — parents, grandparents, even you.

Any money left in the Pooled Special Needs Trust after you die will be used to pay back the state for the amount of money it spent on Medicaid for you after the trust was set up.

Third Party Trusts

Third party trusts are often similar to Special Needs Trusts and sometimes are called Third Party Special Needs Trusts, even though there are differences. Third Party Special Needs Trusts are not as well known as First Party Trusts and Pooled Trusts, but they have the advantage that after you die, a Third Party Special Needs Trust does not need to repay the government for any Medicaid expenses.

Only certain people are allowed to set up a Third Party Special Needs Trust:

• Your parent
• Your grandparent
• Your legal guardian
• The court

Parents usually set up and supply the money for Third Party Special Needs Trusts, often through their wills and sometimes by purchasing life insurance payable to the trust. These types of trusts are often established for a child with a disability, but they can also be set up for a child (or other person) without a disability. A parent can set up a trust for a child of any age, from a baby up to a senior. For example, a mother who is 90 years old could set up a trust for her 65-year-old daughter.

Other family members, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can also put money into this type of trust. The only person who cannot place money into this type of trust is you, the person who will be the beneficiary of the trust.

Some parents place their property in a "living" trust and leave instructions that a separate trust will be created for their child upon their death. This type of trust is often effective immediately. Anyone can give money to the trust by either writing a check or writing a will naming the trust as the beneficiary.

If you get SSI, the money from a Third Party Special Needs Trust should not be used for housing. Housing is considered a basic need under Social Security laws. If you are getting free housing from someone else, including a family member or a trust, then your SSI benefits will be reduced or stopped.

If you get Medicaid or Food Assistance, free housing, including payments for those items from a trust, are not considered income and will not affect your benefits eligibility, though it could lower the amount you get in Food Assistance.

When creating a Third Party Special Needs Trust, whoever sets up the trust must decide who will get any assets that are left in the trust after you die.