Ohio ABLE accounts: how a STABLE account lets you save without losing benefits
Many people with disabilities who get SSI cannot have more than $2,000 in savings. An ABLE account changes that. It lets a person with a disability save and invest money without losing SSI or Medicaid. Ohio's ABLE program is called STABLE, and it is run by the Ohio Treasurer.
Franklin County Family Supports is an independent guide. We are not part of STABLE or any government agency. This is general information, not financial or legal advice.
Who qualifies
Starting January 1, 2026, a person can open an ABLE account if their disability began before age 46. Before 2026 the cutoff was age 26, so many more people now qualify.
- People who get SSI or Social Security disability benefits based on a disability that began before age 46 qualify.
- Others can qualify by signing a disability certification and keeping a doctor's diagnosis on file.
- Each person can have only one ABLE account.
- You do not usually send medical records to open an account, but you must recertify each year.
Who can open and manage it
The person with the disability owns the account. If they cannot open it themselves, it can be opened by someone with power of attorney, a guardian, a spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent, or a Social Security representative payee.
How much you can save
- Anyone, including family and friends, can add money.
- Total deposits from everyone are limited to $20,000 in 2026.
- If the account owner works, they may be able to add more from their own pay. Ask STABLE for this year's extra limit.
- STABLE gives a $25 match on a new account's first deposit, under its current terms.
How it affects SSI and Medicaid
- The first $100,000 in the account does not count against SSI's savings limit.
- If the balance goes over $100,000 and that pushes you over the SSI limit, SSI payments pause. They start again when the balance drops.
- Medicaid keeps going even when SSI pauses for this reason.
- Money taken out for housing, or for something that does not qualify, counts as savings if you still have it the next month. Spend it in the same month you take it out.
What the money can pay for
The money must be used for qualified disability expenses, which are broad. They include:
- Housing and rent, and basic living expenses.
- Education and job training.
- Transportation.
- Health care, prevention, and wellness.
- Assistive technology and personal support services.
- Legal fees, financial help, and funeral and burial costs.
Keep receipts. STABLE does not ask for them, but the IRS may. Using money for things that do not qualify can mean tax plus a 10% penalty on the earnings, and it can affect benefits.
Ohio tax break
Ohio taxpayers who add money to a STABLE account can deduct up to $4,000 per account each year from Ohio income tax. Anything over $4,000 can be carried forward to later years. Earnings grow tax free, and qualified withdrawals are tax free.
One thing to know: Medicaid payback
When the account owner dies, the state can claim money left in the account to repay Medicaid costs paid after the account was opened. Funeral and burial costs and other bills are paid first.
How to open a STABLE account
- Go to stableaccount.com or call STABLE at 1-800-439-1653, Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm Eastern.
- Confirm eligibility and choose who will manage the account.
- Pick an investment option. STABLE offers four mutual fund options and one FDIC insured savings option.
- Make a first deposit. A STABLE Visa prepaid card can be used to pay expenses.
If a representative payee puts Social Security money into an ABLE account, all regular payee rules still apply. See our guide on representative payees. Facts checked against STABLE and Social Security on October 26, 2026.