(Lincoln, NE) Today Nebraska Treasurer John Murante announced several changes to Nebraska’s Enable Account Program, designed to better meet the needs of qualified Nebraskans with disabilities. The changes involve new IRS regulations allowing for more options for authorized individuals, an increased contribution limit, and an age adjustment allowing more individuals to take part in the program.
Nebraska’s Enable Savings Plan was established by the Nebraska Legislature in 2015 after the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act was signed into federal law. The law allows Nebraskans (and residents of other states) with certain disabilities to create tax-advantaged ABLE savings accounts to pay for qualified disability-related expenses. Nebraskans can visit: https://www.enablesavings.com/ for more information.
“The Enable Program has made such a difference in the lives of so many in such a short time. I’ve met with program account holders and their families and their stories are tremendously inspiring. With these improvements on both the state and federal level, it is my goal to improve the lives of many more Nebraskans,” Murante said.
The ABLE Age Adjustment Act recently enacted by Congress will increase the age of the onset of a disability from before an individual’s 26th birthday to before their 46th birthday. This change will open ABLE accounts up to an estimated six million additional people nationwide, including about one million veterans. The change will take effect on January 1, 2026.
Also, this year the annual contribution limit for contributions to the Enable Savings Plan is increased to $17,000 per year. If participating in the ABLE to Work program, an additional $13,590 for Nebraska residents may be contributed.
Finally, new IRS regulations have allowed for more options for authorized individuals who administer accounts on behalf of Enable account holders. Authorized individuals may now include: the account owner’s agent under a power of attorney or a conservator or legal guardian, spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent, or a representative payee appointed for the account owner by the Social Security Administration in that order of priority.
When opening an account on behalf of an account owner, an authorized individual will be required to certify they have the authority to establish the ABLE account, and that there is no other person with a higher priority in the list of potential Authorized Individuals. This certification will lessen the need for cumbersome paperwork and will allow for applications to be filled out online rather than requiring a paper application.
“These changes will make the Enable Program more accessible, easier to administer, and open to more Nebraskans with disabilities,” Murante said.
