[Ct-nfb] Fwd: I'm not allowed to save money

[Justin Salisbury]

I think this is a very interesting petition. I wish to ask the following question:

I know that there is a program called PASS (plan for achieving self-support), which allows people to save beyond $2000 without it hurting their benefits. Would this bill, if passed, create something new and better then PASS?

Sent from the iPhone of:

Justin M. Salisbury
Graduate Student
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
University of Wisconsin – Madison
@_JSalisbury

> On Feb 15, 2014, at 5:24 PM, "Danielle Spruill" <dspruill87 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: "Sara Wolff via Change.org" <mail at change.org>
> Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2014 21:37:36 +0000
> Subject: I'm not allowed to save money
> To: dspruill87 at gmail.com
> 
> I'm 31 years old, and I happen to have Down syndrome. I have two jobs,
> and lead an independent life, however, when my mom died suddenly last
> year, things got a lot harder for me and my family. I want to support
> myself and save money for my future, but if I save more than $2,000,
> I'll lose the benefits I depend on like Medicaid and Social Security.
> 
> That's because of a law that says that people with disabilities like
> me can't have more than $2,000 in assets or we risk losing the
> benefits we need to live. For me, living on my own, that means I can't
> even save enough to put down rent and a security deposit on an
> apartment. This law keeps me dependent on other people, and that's
> really scary now that my mom is gone.
> 
> But there is a solution: The ABLE Act. The Achieving a Better Life
> Experience Act is a bill in Congress that would allow people like me
> to save money for our futures through 529-like accounts that wouldn't
> impact our medical care and disability benefits.
> 
> I started a petition on Change.org calling on Congress to pass the
> ABLE Act this year. Will you click here to sign it?
> 
> https://www.change.org/petitions/the-united-states-congress-pass-the-able-act?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=48777&alert_id=TjLvAdIqOY_dFXddYqxCK
> 
> It's very scary for me to be on my own knowing I'm not allowed to save
> money in case something goes wrong. I've worked so hard to build a
> life for myself, living on my own and working as a law clerk. It's
> horrible to think I could lose everything because I have no security.
> I dream of living on my own, working one, full-time job, and even
> taking postsecondary courses to earn a degree.
> 
> With an ABLE account, I would not only have security, I could also
> plan for my future. This bill will not only change my life but has the
> potential to change the lives of millions of people with and without
> disabilities.
> 
> Some people think my disability holds me back, but they're wrong. I've
> learned that I can be independent, even without my mom, as hard as
> that is. I can hold down a job, and even speak at rallies in
> Washington, DC. I just need to be allowed to make my own way and plan
> for my better life. Will you help me make that possible?
> 
> Please click here to sign my petition calling on Congress to pass the
> ABLE Act so that people like me can plan for our futures.
> 
> https://www.change.org/petitions/the-united-states-congress-pass-the-able-act?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=48777&alert_id=TjLvAdIqOY_dFXddYqxCK
> 
> When this bill passes, I'll be standing next to President Obama when
> he signs it. And I'll thank you for making that moment happen.
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Sara Wolff
> Moscow, PA
> 
> 
> This email was sent by Change.org to dspruill87 at gmail.com.
> 
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