On Tuesday, Dec. 20, Senator Bob Casey announced a positive outlook for the Age Adjustment Acts for ABLE benefit recipients, as the policy could remain a permanent fixture in the upcoming Senate Omnibus Bill. 

The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act operates as long-term savings account for disability beneficiaries without running the risk of losing additional federal benefits, such as Social Security Income and Medicaid. 

If all goes well in the final vote, age eligibility requirements for ABLE beneficiaries would extend to individuals whose disability onset began after 26 years of age, the current threshold in the original legislation, written in 2014.

New language eases restrictions for individuals up to 46 years of age. 

Casey, a Democrat, originally introduced the Age Adjustment Act earlier this year to the Senate Finance Committee, where he serves as Chairman. 

The Summer went well for Sen. Casey when the Finance Committee unanimously voted for his proposal, which is poised to grant 6.1 million new recipients, “including 1 million veterans, the opportunity to open an ABLE account and save for the future without losing crucial disability benefits,” a June statement read. 

“Today’s vote brings this legislation one step closer to becoming law,” the U.S. Senator’s statement, cosigned by other committee members, stated. 

In August, the Finance Committee held hearings with three Pennsylvanians who had testified their ABLE accounts enabled a savings pathway without threatening other federal supplemental income. 

Before ABLE became available, disability beneficiaries could not accumulate more than $2,000 in assets. 

The savings can be used for disability related expenses, including home modifications, education, transportation and assistive technology

The ability to save cash provides considerable relief for the disabled population, known to experience employment under uncertain and changing workforce conditions that were exacerbated by the pandemic. 

Disabled in Philadelphia

Statistics surrounding the disabled population have historically stuck out for Philadelphia, where figures are higher on average in the country, in addition to toppling other states in the number of sub-categories that define the kind of disability an individual has. 

The 2021 census reported that roughly more than 200,000 Philadelphians under the age of 65 live with a disability, or 13% of the city’s population, and as many as 8.5% do not have health insurance. 

And although the Mayor’s office has made efforts to close the access gap between disabled and non-disabled individuals seeking employment in the city, the measures don’t extend beyond City Hall. 

Outside of city-operated employment, disabled Philadelphians continue to experience disproportionate barriers when trying to secure a job — including poverty, internet access, and the ability to complete an onerous job application — are all issues that compound the person’s ability to perform any role successfully. 

Many disabled folks, albeit perfectly competent and qualified to execute any given task in the workplace, require intervention from organizations that work to introduce employment in phases with vetted partners. 

Local organizations have worked to close the gaps disabled individuals face, but efforts fall short with stagnating and insufficient federal funding. 

The consequences trickle down, resulting in poverty rates blighting disabled communities, who make up 22% of the impoverished population. 

Supposing all goes well in the coming days, the Age Adjustment Act eases the ability of disabled individuals to save long-term as they navigate difficulties in attempting to join the workforce.