Quick Answers About Ohio STABLE Accounts
- A STABLE account is Ohio’s ABLE program for people with qualifying disabilities.
- As of January 1, 2026, ABLE eligibility applies if the disability began before age 46.
- Money in a STABLE account can grow tax-free and can be withdrawn tax-free for qualified disability expenses.
- STABLE accounts can help a person save beyond the usual $2,000 resource limit that often applies to SSI and Medicaid planning.
- Up to $100,000 in an ABLE account is not counted toward the SSI resource limit, and Medicaid is generally not affected by the ABLE balance up to the plan limit.
- The standard annual contribution limit is $20,000 in 2026, and some working beneficiaries may be able to contribute more.
- STABLE accounts can work together with pooled Medicaid payback trusts and wholly discretionary trusts to improve quality of life without disrupting benefits.
Who Can Open a STABLE Account?
A STABLE account is available for a person whose disability began before age 46.
The person does not need to be a child now. What matters is when the disability began. In many cases, the account can be opened by the individual or by an authorized legal representative acting on the person’s behalf.
What Are the Benefits of a STABLE Account?
Tax-free growth for qualified disability expenses
Money in a STABLE account can be invested, and earnings are tax-free when used for qualified disability expenses. Those expenses are broad and can include housing, food, utilities, education, transportation, healthcare, assistive technology, employment support, and many other costs that improve health, independence, and quality of life.
Protection of important benefits
One of the biggest advantages of a STABLE account is that it allows a person with a disability to hold more money without automatically losing means-tested benefits. Up to $100,000 in the account is disregarded for SSI resource purposes, and ABLE/STABLE savings generally do not count against Medicaid resource limits in the same way an ordinary bank account would.
Greater independence and flexibility
A STABLE account gives the beneficiary a way to save and spend money more directly for personal needs and goals. That flexibility can make daily life easier and can supplement the stricter rules that often apply to special needs trusts.
A practical supplement to trust planning
STABLE accounts are often most powerful when used together with disability trusts. A trust can hold larger sums or inherited funds, while a STABLE account can give the beneficiary a more flexible pool of money for approved expenses that improve day-to-day living.
How Much Money Can Be Held in a STABLE Account?
In 2026, the standard annual contribution limit is $20,000, and a beneficiary who is working may be able to contribute additional earned income above that amount under the ABLE-to-Work rules. Ohio’s STABLE materials also explain that the account can hold much more in total than the annual contribution amount, subject to plan and benefit rules.
For SSI purposes, up to $100,000 in the STABLE account is excluded from the SSI resource limit. Amounts above that threshold can affect SSI cash benefits, but Medicaid eligibility is generally preserved even when the account balance is higher, subject to applicable rules.
What Can STABLE Money Be Used For?
STABLE funds can be used for qualified disability expenses that help support health, independence, or quality of life. Common examples include:
- Housing costs, including rent and utilities.
- Food and basic living expenses.
- Education and job training.
- Transportation and vehicle expenses.
- Medical, dental, vision, and mental health care.
- Assistive technology and accessibility equipment.
- Personal support services and caregiving support.
- Other expenses that improve independence and daily functioning.
How STABLE Accounts Work With Trust Planning
Many families need more than one planning tool. A STABLE account is often not enough by itself if the person with a disability may inherit substantial money, receive lawsuit proceeds, receive support from family members, or need flexible long-term protection. That is where trust planning becomes important.
Wholly discretionary trusts for inherited money
If parents or grandparents want to leave money for a person with a disability, a wholly discretionary trust can be used so the inheritance does not pass outright to the beneficiary and disrupt means-tested benefits. The trustee can manage the inherited funds and make discretionary distributions in a way that protects eligibility and supports the beneficiary over time.
Pooled Medicaid payback trusts for the beneficiary’s own money
If the person with a disability already owns money, such as from savings, a personal injury recovery, or direct receipt of funds, a pooled Medicaid payback trust may be an appropriate tool. That type of trust can allow the person’s own funds to be preserved and used for the beneficiary’s benefit while helping maintain Medicaid and SSI eligibility, subject to the trust’s rules and payback requirements.
STABLE accounts as the flexible spending layer
A STABLE account can be used as a practical companion to either a wholly discretionary trust or a pooled trust. In many cases, money can be distributed from a trust into the STABLE account so the beneficiary has easier access to funds for qualified disability expenses that improve daily life.
Examples of How the Planning Fits Together
Example 1: Family inheritance into a wholly discretionary trust
A parent wants to leave money to an adult child with a disability. Instead of leaving the money directly to the child, the parent leaves it to a wholly discretionary trust. The trustee can then decide when a distribution to the beneficiary’s STABLE account makes sense, giving the beneficiary more flexibility for approved expenses while keeping the larger inheritance protected in trust.
Example 2: Beneficiary’s own funds into a pooled trust
A person with a disability receives money in their own name, such as back benefits, savings, or settlement proceeds. A pooled Medicaid payback trust may be used to hold those assets, and the trustee may then make distributions to a STABLE account when appropriate to support qualified disability expenses and improve quality of life.
Example 3: Personal saving through a STABLE account
A beneficiary earns income or receives gifts from family and wants to build savings without risking benefits. A STABLE account can be the direct savings tool for that purpose, while any larger inheritance planning remains in a wholly discretionary trust.
How Golowin Legal Can Help
Golowin Legal, LLC helps families in Columbus and throughout central Ohio build disability planning systems that actually work together. We do not just talk about STABLE accounts in isolation. We help families understand which assets should go where, how inherited money should be received, how a beneficiary’s own money should be handled, and how trust distributions and STABLE accounts can complement each other.
Depending on the situation, our services may include:
- Advising whether a STABLE account is appropriate for the beneficiary.
- Helping families understand STABLE eligibility and contribution limits.
- Creating a wholly discretionary trust for inheritances and third-party planning.
- Creating or advising regarding pooled Medicaid payback trust planning for the beneficiary’s own assets.
- Coordinating wills, revocable living trusts, beneficiary designations, and special needs planning so money does not pass outright by mistake.
- Explaining how trust distributions to a STABLE account can improve the beneficiary’s quality of life.
Why Families Need Both Trust Planning and STABLE Planning
A STABLE account is powerful, but it is not a substitute for proper disability trust planning when larger assets, inheritances, or first-party funds are involved. Likewise, a trust alone may not provide the same convenience and spending flexibility that a STABLE account offers for qualified disability expenses.
For many families, the best answer is a coordinated plan: family inheritances directed into a wholly discretionary trust, the beneficiary’s own money directed into a pooled Medicaid payback trust when needed, and a STABLE account used as a flexible tool for day-to-day quality-of-life improvements.
To learn more about broader planning, visit our Special Needs Trusts page and our Estate Planning in Ohio page.
Frequently Asked Questions About STABLE Accounts in Ohio
Does a person have to be under age 26 now to open a STABLE account?
No. What matters is the age when the disability began. Beginning in 2026, the disability onset rule expanded to before age 46.
How much can go into a STABLE account each year?
In 2026, the standard annual contribution limit is $20,000. Some working beneficiaries may be able to contribute additional earned income above that amount under the ABLE-to-Work rules.
How much can stay in the account without affecting SSI?
Up to $100,000 in the account is generally excluded for SSI resource purposes. Different rules may apply above that amount, but Medicaid eligibility is generally treated more favorably than with an ordinary bank account.
Can a person with a disability inherit money directly into a STABLE account?
A STABLE account can receive contributions, but larger inheritance planning is usually safer and more flexible through a wholly discretionary trust so the inheritance does not pass outright and create benefit problems. Trust distributions can then be coordinated with the STABLE account.
Can a pooled trust or wholly discretionary trust transfer money to a STABLE account?
In many situations, yes. Coordinated planning can allow distributions from a trust to a STABLE account so the beneficiary has more practical access to funds for qualified disability expenses.
When should a family talk to a lawyer about STABLE accounts?
A family should seek legal advice when the person with a disability may inherit money, already owns assets, receives settlement proceeds, or needs coordinated planning involving SSI, Medicaid, a pooled trust, or a discretionary trust.
Next Steps
If your loved one has a disability and you want to protect benefits while improving quality of life, the next step is to build the right combination of tools. A STABLE account may be part of the answer, but it often works best when combined with careful special needs trust planning.
Call Golowin Legal, LLC at (614) 453-5208 or book a consultation to discuss STABLE accounts, pooled Medicaid payback trusts, wholly discretionary trusts, and disability planning in Ohio.
If your family is also planning a future inheritance, visit our Wills in Ohio page and our Revocable Living Trusts in Ohio page to make sure money is left the right way for a beneficiary with a disability.
