Casey touts ABLE savings program in visit to Allentown

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and representatives from the state treasury visited Allentown on Monday to celebrate the continuing growth of ABLE, a savings program for people with disabilities.

Speaking at the Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living, officials celebrated more than $135 million in assets deposited with Pennsylvania’s ABLE accounts by more than 9,300 people.

Casey, D-Pa., was a chief Senate sponsor of the federal legislation that created the program in 2014. The treasury, meanwhile, has been responsible for running Pennsylvania’s iteration.

Though state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a Republican, was scheduled to appear, as well, she was unable to because of a family matter, Casey said.

Julie Peachey, deputy state treasurer for consumer programs, spoke in her place.

With just over three weeks until Election Day — and with Casey and Garrity seeking re-election — it was a chance for both to tout their bipartisan credentials in a joint event between a Democrat and a Republican.

“ABLE is an example of how we can put partisan and other divisions aside to work together in our commonwealth, in our country,” Casey said.

“Here’s what we’ve been able to achieve for people with disabilities: a degree of financial control of their lives that they didn’t have before.”

McCormick also in Allentown

Casey’s Senate race opponent, Republican Dave McCormick, also was in Allentown on Monday morning, helping to pass out boxes of donated food at City Limits Assembly of God.

It was an opportunity to introduce himself to the community, McCormick said.

“Many of the voters I'm trying to seek out now are people that are on the fence," he said.

"I’m introducing them to who I am, introduce them to the kind of positive leadership I can bring to get our country back on track. For me, it’s a really stark choice.”

'People with disabilities could not save'

In order for someone to get Supplemental Security Income disability payments, they must never accumulate more than $2,000 in assets, excluding their homes and usually their cars.

Married couples receiving SSI are limited to $3,000 in assets; other programs have different cutoffs.

ABLE offers checking, savings and investment accounts that do not count against the income cap for Social Security or other programs, letting someone to save up to $100,000 without jeopardizing their benefits.

“People with disabilities could not save” before, Casey said.

“When we passed the ABLE Act, I think we gave families peace of mind: the peace of mind to know that you can save money according to the needs of the individual.”

Pennsylvania ABLE accounts are available to anyone entitled to SSI payments or with a serious disability. Deposits, capped at $18,000 per year, are tax deductible.

'Helps get the word out'

Jacey Surbrook, an ABLE account holder since 2021, said the program lets her plan for major expenses such as adaptive equipment that allows her to drive a car, or, someday, have a service dog.

“It's wonderful to know that there is a program that will not be marked against people with disabilities,” she said.

“The world does not accommodate to the disability community, so we must accommodate to it, and the PA ABLE accounts are one way.”

in 2022, Casey introduced new legislation expanding access to the program, which Congress approved. ABLE is currently open to people who developed a qualifying disability by age 26; that cutoff will rise to age 46 after next year.

If adopted, the change would expand access to 6 million additional people in the United States, said Peachey, including more than a million veterans.

Despite consistent growth, Pennsylvania’s roughly 9,300 participants represent a small fraction of the people eligible for an account, said John Stevens, director of the state Bureau of Savings Programs.

“Every piece of outreach that we can do, that Senator Casey can do, helps get the word out,” Stevens said.