FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Contact: Clint Blaes |
Kansas ABLE Roadshow to kick off next week in Topeka
TOPEKA – (April 9, 2024) – A statewide roadshow aimed at increasing
awareness of the Kansas ABLE Savings Plan will kick off next Monday in Topeka,
Kansas State Treasurer Steven Johnson announced today.
The tour will include 50 stops around the state, as well as multiple
opportunities to participate in virtual presentations for Kansans with
disabilities to learn about the ABLE Savings Plan. The first stop of the tour
will be at the Capper Foundation, 3500 SW 10th Avenue, Topeka, on Monday,
April 15, from noon to 1 p.m. The event is open to the media and
members of the public.
These events will provide ABLE information directly to Kansans with
disabilities, their families and caregivers, as well as answer any questions
they may have and provide support in taking action and
opening an account.
The Kansas ABLE Roadshow is part of a collaborative effort announced last fall between Johnson’s office,
the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services and the Kansas Council
on Developmental Disabilities. The effort is targeting in particular those
Kansans with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) who are on the Home
and Community Based Service (HCBS) waiver waitlist. Johnson’s office is working
with the Community Developmental Disability Organizations across the state to
inform individuals on the waitlist about the program.
Thanks to financial support from CareSource, Sunflower Health Plan, Arcare, the Kansas Financial Empowerment Foundation and the
Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities, $85,000 has been raised to help
fund $100 opportunity grants for 850 individuals on the Kansas IDD waitlist who
open new ABLE accounts.
The Stephen Beck Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of
2014 created a savings and spending tool designed specifically for people
with disabilities. Under the ABLE Act, “ABLE accounts” allow individuals to
spend on disability qualified expenses, save, and invest money while helping
them to protect benefits like Medicaid and SSI. The Kansas ABLE program
currently has 1,972 open accounts with a total of $20.7 million in assets under
management.
Additional information on ABLE, the upcoming in-person and virtual tour
dates, and the opportunity grant program is available on the treasurer’s
website at https://kansascash.ks.gov/able.
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