An adult beneficiary with a qualifying disability can open and manage an ABLE account.
If a beneficiary is under the age of 18 or unable to open an account on their own, they must have an Authorized Legal Representative (also known as an ALR) do it for them. An ALR must be anyone who is selected by the eligible beneficiary with legal capacity, anyone who has Power of Attorney, a conservator or legal guardian, a spouse, parent, sibling, or grandparent, or a representative payee (individual or organization), in that order of priority. Learn more about the role of an ALR.
Alternatively, a Social Security Representative Payee who has Power of Attorney can act as an ALR and can open an account for an eligible beneficiary. This can be either an individual or organizational Representative Payee. Either way, a beneficiary can have only one ABLE account at a time.
Wondering who should manage your ABLE account? This chart can help walk you through the decision.