Maryland ABLE FAQs

No. The ABLE account is protected from bankruptcy.

You can use money from an ABLE account for housing expenses. If you’re eligible for SSI, the money must be used within the month it was withdrawn so it doesn’t count as income for the month in determining your SSI eligibility. Plus, having an ABLE account doesn’t affect other housing benefits, like Section 8.

You’ll have to pay taxes on any non-eligible expense, plus a 10% penalty on the earnings portion of the withdrawal. A withdrawal used for a non-eligible expense could affect your eligibility for SSI benefits, Medicaid or other much-needed benefits under federal or state programs, as could a withdrawal that is applied to a housing expense in any month after the month of the withdrawal.

Maybe. Qualified disability expenses may differ from beneficiary to beneficiary depending on their disability. A vacation could qualify as an eligible expense if it maintains or improves the health, independence, or quality of life of the person living with a disability.

A "qualified disability expense" means any expense related to the beneficiary as a result of living a life with disabilities. These may include education, housing, transportation, employment training and support, assistive technology, personal support services, health care expenses, financial management and administrative services and other expenses which help improve health, independence, and/or quality of life.