Senator Blumenthal and Treasurer Russell Announce Expanded ABLE CT Eligibility at Easterseals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut Headquarters

01/20/2026

Senator Blumenthal and Treasurer Russell Announce Expanded ABLE CT Eligibility at Easterseals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut Headquarters

Windsor, CT - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and State Treasurer Erick Russell joined the Easterseals Military Services Team at the Easterseals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut Headquarters today to announce the enactment of the ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Age Adjustment Act, expanding eligibility for ABLE savings accounts in Connecticut and nationwide.

As of January 1, 2026, Connecticut residents whose qualifying disability began before age 46 are eligible to open an ABLE CT account. Previously, eligibility required onset before age 26. This expansion will allow an estimated six million more Americans, including approximately one million veterans, to benefit from ABLE savings accounts.

"This critical expansion of ABLE accounts will help millions of Americans with disabilities - including more than a million veterans- live with dignity and independence," said Blumenthal. People with disabilities and veterans who have sacrificed their health for our country should not have to worry about how they'll support themselves."

"ABLE accounts have transformed lives by reducing the number of impossible financial and moral decisions for people with disabilities and the families who support them," said Russell. "With this expansion, many more individuals-including veterans-can plan for education, housing, and other needs with dignity and security."

ABLE accounts allow people with disabilities to save and invest without jeopardizing eligibility for means-tested benefits such as Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Funds in ABLE accounts can be used for a wide range of qualified disability expenses, including housing, transportation, education, job training, assistive technology, health care, caregiving, and basic living expenses.

Across the country, ABLE account holders are saving for down payments on homes, modifying vehicles to get to work, paying for college or credentialing programs, hiring personal care attendants and job coaches, and covering daily costs that Medicaid or private insurance will never touch. Unlike other savings vehicles, ABLE accounts allow people to build financial resilience without triggering benefit loss.

The Stephen Beck Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, passed by Congress in 2014, was named after the late Stephen Beck Jr., a father who fought to ensure his daughter Natalie, who has Down syndrome, could have the same opportunities to save as everyone else. Beck passed away just days after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the ABLE Act and was one of five parents who began this movement around a kitchen table in Northern Virginia.

ABLE CT accounts grow tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified disability-related expenses are exempt from state and federal taxes. Connecticut taxpayers may deduct contributions up to $5,000 per year for single filers or $10,000 for joint filers from their state adjusted gross income.

As of the end of Fiscal Year 2025, the ABLE CT trust held $10,966,621 in assets.

To learn more about eligibility and how to open an ABLE CT account, visit ct.SaveWithABLE.com.

Easterseals Veterans Rally Point is a comprehensive support center dedicated to empowering veterans, service members, and their families. Located in Windsor, Connecticut, Rally Point provides a wide range of free, confidential services designed to help veterans thrive in civilian life, including employment and career development, mental health counseling, peer support, financial coaching, and access to community resources. By offering a safe and welcoming environment, Easterseals Veterans Rally Point ensures that those who served our country have the tools, opportunities, and support they need to achieve stability, independence, and long-term success.

Contact: Brett Cody
[email protected] | (959) 529-2468