The Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services (MDRS) will be launching a statewide campaign this summer with the hopes of reaching and informing individuals with disabilities about the Mississippi Achieve A Better Life (ABLE) Program.
“A couple of years ago, the legislature gave us the authority to administer the ABLE Act, along with the work of the state treasurer,” MDRS director Chris Howard said on Wednesday’s episode of The Gallo Show. “It’s such a great program, because what it does is it provides individuals with disabilities the opportunity to save for the future.”
The program was signed in to law during the 2017 legislative session and provides disabled individuals with savings accounts that are not counted against any public benefits and may provide tax advantages.
“Through ABLE, they can put about 15,000 [dollars] a year, up to 235,000 [dollars]…to save for the future, save for a house, save for a car,” Howard explained.
The series of virtual town hall meetings will begin on July 1 at 4:00 p.m. in the Golden Triangle region of the state. It will include a presentation on the ABLE Program, as well as a Q & A session.
“At the end of the day, we want to reach as many individuals with disabilities and tell those folks about how to save for the future and not be at risk of losing benefits and also get some great tax advantages,” Howard said.
To watch the full interview with Howard, click the video below.
